Western Troop Initiative Combats Distracted Driving, Seat Belt Enforcement Over Easter Weekend

(FREDERICK, MD) – Maryland State Police troopers from the Western Troop conducted a distracted driving and seat belt enforcement initiative over the Easter holiday weekend.

The Western Troop, which consists of the Frederick, Hagerstown, Cumberland and McHenry barracks, conducted the initiative between Friday and Sunday. The initiative centered on patrols across Interstate 70 and Interstate 68.

During the course of the initiative, the Western Region conducted 134 seat belt or distracted driving related stops. A total of 66 distracted driving or seat belt citations were issued. These stops also resulted in six impaired driving arrests, six drug arrests and one warrant arrest.

The initiative coincided with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office, 181 people die and 26,704 others are injured each year in Maryland as a result of distracted driving.

It has been estimated that a person texting takes their eyes off the road for an average of five seconds. To put this in perspective, this is like covering the length of a football field while driving blindfolded if you are driving 55 mph.

Maryland law prohibits the use of a handheld cellphone and texting while driving. First-time offenders caught using a cellphone while driving face a maximum of an $83 fine, second-time offenders a maximum of $140 fine and third-time offenders a maximum of $160 fine. Drivers can also be fined $70 and face one point on their driving record if caught texting while driving. If the use of a device contributes to a crash, the fine may increase to $110 and three points on your driving record.

The increased enforcement effort against distracted driving comes after the passage of Jake’s Law. In effect since 2014, Jake’s Law is named after Jake Owen, who was just 5 when he was killed in a car accident caused by a distracted driver in 2011. The law states that a driver causing serious injury or death while talking on a handheld cellphone or texting may receive up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. These are primary offenses and police officers can stop drivers when those activities are observed, regardless of the presence of other violations.

The MDOT MVA Highway Safety Office has offered some tips to help motorists avoid driving distracted:

• Use your cellphone for emergency situations only.
• If you are drowsy, pull off the road.
• You should limit the number of passengers, as well as the level of activity inside the car.
• Avoid eating while driving.
• Do your multi-tasking outside of your vehicle.

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CONTACT: Office of Media Communications, msp.media@maryland.gov