Delaware drivers may soon find it harder to defy the state's ban on texting and using hand-held cell phones. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Thursday in Dover that Delaware is one of two states where federal grant money will target distracted driving. California joins the First State in participating in a federal pilot program examining if increased enforcement combined with media outreach can curb incidents of distracted driving.
"The U.S. Department of Transportation is committing $900,000 to the State of Delaware to crack down on distracted driving," said Secretary LaHood. "This is a good way to implement a very good law you have passed here. The money is a down payment on a proven formula, one that will reduce injuries and fatalities on Delaware's highways."
Delaware Governor Jack Markell (D) welcomed the funds.
"Just as we're focused as a state on improving our transportation infrastructure because it's so important, we're also focused on keeping our roads safe," said Gov. Markell.
Excerpts from the grant announcement and comments from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Excerpts from the grant announcement and comments from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
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The $900,000 grant will bring the federal pilot program "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in Another" to Delaware to help enforce the state's ban on texting and hand-held cell phone use. The ban went into effect January 2, 2011.
$300,000 will be used to fund three separate two-week enforcement waves by law enforcement departments in all three counties. The first of those enforcement waves is scheduled this fall, from September 18 to October 1. The other two will come in April and June 2013. $400,000 of the grant money will be used for public education and media outreach to accompany the enforcement efforts, and the remaining $200,000 will fund evaluation of the program.
"[This grant money] really illustrates the seriousness with which we view distracted driving," said Delaware Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security Lewis Schiliro. "For those of us in this state that still insist on texting and talking on their cell phone [while driving], this grant will go a long way to allow them to also talk to one of Delaware's finest."
"At DOT, we've learned that combining good laws and good enforcement yield powerful results," said Secretary LaHood. "It worked for "Click It or Ticket" and its has also worked for getting drunk drivers off the road."
Delaware is among 39 states that have banned texting while driving and one of only ten states that have outlawed hand-held phone use while driving. Since the ban became law, Delaware law enforcement has issued over 10,000 tickets for texting or cell phone use while driving, but whether that translates into fewer people using mobile devices in their cars remains difficult to measure. The only comparative numbers available involve crash statistics. In 2010, cell phone distraction was a factor in 199 Delaware crashes and texting was linked to 26 accidents. In 2011, cell phone distraction was connected to 139 crashes while texting was involved in 14. As of May 2012, cell phone distraction has accounted for 47 crashes and texting was named as a factor in 7 crashes.
LaHood cautions against rushing to any conclusions about the effectiveness of laws like the one in Delaware.
"It takes time," said LaHood. "It took 20 years of our friends in law enforcement writing tickets as part of 'Click It or Ticket' to get to the point where 84 percent of us buckle up first thing when we get in a car."
LaHood adds that smaller scale versions of the "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in Another" program conducted last year in Syracuse, NY and Hartford, CT indicate that enforcing laws against distracted driving can have a positive effect. Those pilot projects measured significant decreases in distracted driving, indicating texting dropped by 72 percent in Hartford and 32 percent in Syracuse.
The announcement of the federal grant to Delaware was made in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Transportation's release of its "Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving." The plan includes pursuing adoption and enforcement of anti-texting and cell phone use laws in all states, exploring technological options for limiting distracted driving, further study of distracted driving, and working to better educate young drivers about the hazards of distracted driving.
“This is dangerous behavior and it will cause injuries and accidents,” said LaHood. “Delaware has taken very seriously its responsibility to enforce [the] law and we want continue to give them encouragement to do that.”