Norwich police to watch for drivers using phones
Norwich — Police will devote extra officers to catching distracted drivers Thursday through Aug. 15 as part of a statewide campaign.
During the “U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY.” campaign, funded by the state Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office, officers will watch for drivers who are using their phones.
Under state law, drivers are fined $150 the first time they’re caught using a handheld device, $300 the second time and $500 for each subsequent violation.
More than 50 state and local agencies participated in the first wave of the campaign in April, which led to more than 10,000 citations. Many of the agencies also are participating in the second wave.
Connecticut has received more than $9.1 million in federal funding for campaigns such as this one, police said in a news release.
About 3,450 people died because of distracted driving in 2016, the release said.
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.
