Virginia Launches Campaign To Catch Distracted Truck Drivers

Beginning April 8, the New Kent Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the FMCSA, will begin a campaign to curb distracted driving along Interstate 64 in Kent County, Virginia.

The campaign will focus on bus and truck drivers.  Troopers will be on the lookout of truck and bus drivers who are using their cell phones while driving.  According to Tide Water Review, the project, called  Phone Down. Just Drive, part of DRIVE SMART Virginia, will also work to educate truck and bus drivers on the dangers of distracted driving.

“This will be the first project of its kind in the nation to focus on enforcing hand-held phone restrictions with truck and bus drivers,” says Janet Brooking, executive director of DRIVE SMART Virginia. “Studies show that drivers who use hand- held devices are 4 times more likely to be in a crash serious enough to injure themselves. We hope to find that our education and enforcement efforts will reduce the number of drivers using hand-held mobile phones while operating a truck or bus.”

The campaign is being funded by the FMCSA, and the New Kent Sheriff’s Office will be employing its CMV enforcement officers to spot violators.

“Our officers will be looking for any truck or bus driver reaching for, holding or dialing multiple buttons on their mobile phones while traveling on Interstate 64 in New Kent County,” warns Sheriff Howard. “We see a large amount of trucks traveling in the area on their way to the ports and we want to make sure we are keeping our highways safe.”