STATEWIDE:  Idaho law enforcement looking for distracted drivers

April 2, 2016

Idaho law-enforcement personnel will combine traditional and innovative strategies to crack down on motorists who choose to drive distracted, April 1-11. A statewide high-visibility enforcement of texting and inattentive driving laws will be underway during the 11-day period. At the same time, traditional- and social-media outreach efforts will let drivers know about the enforcement and encourage them to always drive attentively. “Driving and texting is not only dangerous and irresponsible, it’s illegal,” said Captain Sheldon Kelley with Idaho State Police. “Drivers who break our state’s texting law will be stopped and fined. This is a major problem in our state, and we’re trying to work toward a resolution by fining violators.” “It’s not that complicated: If you text and drive inattentively, we will see you, pull you over, and fine you. We’re serious about preventing distracted crashes,” said Kelley. Distracted-driving statistics portray a grim picture. In 2014, 39 people were killed (22 percent of all crash fatalities) and an additional 3,243 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Violating Idaho’s texting law, which became effective in 2012, can be costly. Violations of the texting law are an infraction; it is a primary citation and will cost you $81.50. Drivers found to be inattentive (Idaho Code 49-101(3)) can be fined up to $300 and/or receive 90 days in jail. “Texting and driving requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off the task of driving. This is a recipe for a crash, and that’s a scary thought,” said Josephine Middleton, Distracted Driving program manager from Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety. “People think they can multi-task, but research shows that your mind can only focus on one task at a time,” she explained. “No one has the right to put another person’s life at risk like that.” The University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute’s 2012 “Teen Driver Distraction Study” reports that one quarter of teens respond to a text message once or more every time they drive, and 20 percent of teens and 10 percent of parents admit that they have extended, multi-message text conversations while driving. For more information, please visit http://itd.idaho.gov/ohs/justdrive.htm and www.distraction.gov