Westport, CT – The Westport Police Department announces that it will be partnering with the
U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
from October 1 through October 15, 2020 for a high-visibility enforcement campaign focused on
the state’s distracted driving laws.
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on
your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo,
entertainment or navigation system – anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe
driving.
Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5
seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity
you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.
Distracted driving is dangerous, claiming 2,841 lives in the year 2018 alone. Among those
killed: 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians and 77 bicyclists.  NHTSA leads the national
effort to save lives by preventing this dangerous behavior.
Violating Connecticut’s distracted-driving laws can be costly with fines starting at $150.00 and
increasing to potentially as much as $1,000.00 depending on the operator’s driving history and
the location of the offense.
The Westport Police Department asks that you do your part to keep yourself and others safe and
to please make driving your sole focus when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

This press release is made possible by: