FAIRFIELD, CT -- State Senator Tony Hwang (R-28) joined law enforcement officials, AAA Northeast and Dr. Neil Chaudhary of Preusser Research today at the Fairfield Police Station to raise awareness about Distracted Driving Month, which began April 1st. Distracted driving has been on the rise, as cellular phones and motor vehicle technology continues to advance, and has been accompanied by an increase in preventable accidents and deaths.
Texting while driving is one of the biggest dangers on the road. According to a 2017 Deloitte study, Americans check their phones an average of 47 times per day. Texting is the frequently used smartphone function. DAngerously, many people do not stop this behavior when they are behind the wheel, with potentially disastrous and deadly consequences.
Do as I say, not as I do. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that almost 90 percent of drivers believe distracted driving is a bigger problem today than ever before. However, the vast majority of those same drivers report engaging in distracted driving behaviors themselves.
“Most of us are guilty of distracted driving because we naively think nothing dangerous will happen to us. Unfortunately, distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving,” said Sen. Hwang. “When you are not paying full attention to the road in front of you, there is a highly increased chance that you will have an accident as a result of either your own actions or the actions by another you are unable to avoid. All that it takes is a fraction of a second for tragedy to occur. We need to take this just as seriously as drunk and buzzed driving because they can lead to the same dangerous result. We encourage everyone to keep two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road. Your phone and other distractions can wait.”
Fairfield Police Chief Lyddy said, “In 2017 across America, 3,177 people lost their lives directly related to distracted driving so in the month of April, operating on a federal highway safety grant, our Traffic Enforcement Unit will be out there enforcing the distracted driving laws that exist. We started our efforts this morning and in three hours, we issued 65 infractions in the Town of Fairfield for distracted driving. That message is loud and clear that we have a lot of work to do in front of us, we will be out there every single day during the month of April, sending that message through enforcement of our laws.”
“Most drivers believe that if their eyes are on the road and their hands are on the wheel, then they’re focused on the drive,” says Fran Mayko of AAA Northeast. “But research proves there are hidden dangers when using a cell phone or in-vehicle technology. Mental distractions last longer than you think and can cause a dangerous crash. Drivers understand the risk, they just don’t think they are the problem. With more than 3,400 people killed in distracted driving crashes each year, it’s time for drivers to be accountable. We can save lives.”
Senator Hwang hosted the informational event in advance of two distracted driving forums he is hosting in Fairfield and Newtown at the end of the month. The forum panelists will include local law enforcement, Neil Chaudhary, CEO of Preusser Research Group and Mourning Parents ACT (!MPACT).
The Distracted Driving forums are taking place on April 25th in Newtown and April 30th in Fairfield. You can find more information at the Events page on Senator Hwang’s website or RSVP at the Eventbrite link found here (http://ctsenaterepublicans.com/category/state-senator-tony-hwang/events-hwang/).
State Senator Tony Hwang represents Connecticut’s 28th senate district including the towns of Fairfield, Westport, Weston, Easton, Newtown & Sandy Hook. Senator Hwang is the Minority Leader of the Public Safety and Security Committee with cognizance in the area of law enforcement and public safety.