The Malden Police Department Joins Statewide Effort to Reduce Distracted Driving Crashes

Monday, April 25, 2016

The Malden Police Department will partner with the 202 eligible local Massachusetts law enforcement agencies and the Massachusetts State Police in the national “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” mobilization to crack down on texting while driving. The campaign, which combines traditional and innovative enforcement strategies, began on April 8 and continues through April 29. The initiative is funded by a grant administered by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

“Driving and texting is illegal and irresponsible.  People who break our state’s texting law will be subjected to enforcement action. Distracted Driving is a major problem in Massachusetts, and we’re trying to keep the public safe through enforcement and education. We will be deploying additional resources to enforce the law,” said Chief Kevin Molis. 

Texting while driving was outlawed in Massachusetts in 2010.  Adult drivers who write, send, or read electronic messages or browse the Internet while driving face a $100 fine for a first offense – even if the vehicle is stopped in traffic.  Teen drivers under 18 are entirely prohibited from using mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving, including to make phone calls.  The fine for a juvenile first offense is $100, a 60 day license suspension, and required completion of a driver attitudinal course. 

These costly violations underscore the danger inherent in Distracted Driving. In 2014, across the United States, 3,179 people were killed and an additional 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. A 2013 study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) found that any activity that diverts a driver’s eyes from the road for two seconds or more, such as texting or using a mobile device, increases crash risk by a factor of three. This level of impairment is similar to driving drunk, with a blood alcohol concentration of .08. 

“Texting and driving requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off the task of driving. It creates the proverbial ‘perfect storm’ for a crash, and no one has the right to put another person’s life at risk like that,” said Chief Molis. “We are serious about enforcing texting laws.”

Released by the Office of Mayor Gary Christenson