Dear Editor:
April is recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month and I wanted to publicly thank New Jersey citizens, our lawmakers, and law enforcement officers for coming together to help combat this very dangerous and irresponsible epidemic.
Last year, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) set out on a mission to help educate the public about the dangers of talking and texting on a hand-held device while driving. There is some evidence to suggest that motorists are beginning to listen. Since the launch of the “JustDrive.com” awareness campaign, there has been a 28 percent reduction in violations issued for this dangerous behavior. The problem, however, remains – we all see it every day – and the dangers are real for all who share the road.
In 2013 and 2014, approximately 80,000 violations were issued in New Jersey for using a hand-held communication device while operating a motor vehicle. In 2015, that number was reduced to slightly more than 57,000. That means nearly 2,000 fewer violations are being issued each month throughout the state.
One crash, injury or fatality caused by cell phone use while driving is one too many, so there is still much work to be done. While we at the MVC are pleased about this progress, we remain steadfast in our commitment to work toward putting an end to this dangerous behavior. We invite the citizens of New Jersey to visit our online resource – www.JustDrive.com – to share your story and help convince others to put down the phone and just drive.
Raymond P. Martinez
Chairman and Chief Administrator
NJ Motor Vehicle Commission