Dover cops looking for distracted drivers, those not buckled up

If you are talking or texting on your phone while you are driving, Dover police are going to be looking for you. 

Throughout the month of April, the Dover Police Department will crack down on distracted driving and seat belt violations in the City of Dover, according to a DPD release.

Since January 2011, it has been illegal to use cell phones while driving unless a hands-free device is being used. 

"Despite numerous campaigns, advertisements and enforcement efforts, the department is still seeing drivers on their phones talking or texting while driving on our roadways, as well as several accidents attributed to distracted driving," said Dover Police Department PIO Mark Hoffman in the release. "This not only creates a dangerous situation for the driver and their passengers but every person around them on our roadways."

According to the release, Dover Police Chief Marvin Mailey has tasked his officers to focus their traffic enforcement efforts on distracted driving and seat belt violations throughout the month of April, which will also coincide with multi-agency 2018 Drive to Save Lives initiative from April 20-21, and National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

“The goal of this initiative is to educate drivers about Delaware’s laws regarding distracted driving and seat belt usage and correct the behavior of violators who put themselves and others at risk on our roadways," Mailey said in the release. 

Delaware became the 30th state in the nation to have a texting ban, and the eighth to also ban the use of hand-held cell phones. No state completely bans the use of cell phones while driving.

An amendment to the Delaware law in 2016 doubled the fine for drivers talking on their phones or texting if they are caught.

Drivers caught using a handheld device – smartphones, cell phones, tablets, laptops, games or other portable computers – will be fined $100 for their first offense. Subsequent offenses will be no less than $200 and no more than $300.

Dover statistics show an increase in citations issued to those using a cell phone while driving. In 2016, there were 593 citations issued compared to 324 in 2015.

There was a decrease, however, in arrests made for careless or inattentive driving, from 705 in 2015 to 628 in 2016, according to the Dover Police Department's annual report.

Everyone in the vehicle, including back seat passengers and children, must wear seat belts properly in Delaware or face a fine.

Lap and shoulder belts must be worn and shoulder belts must not be placed behind the back or under the arm.

In Delaware, the driver will receive an $83.50 fine (plus court costs) for the failure of anyone in the vehicle to buckle up.

The Dover Police Department issued 223 seat belt citations in 216, compared to 151 in 2015. Child restraint violations decreased from 73 in 2015 to 57 in 2016.

Mailey said that while a recent Delaware Office of Highway Safety study states that the current seat belt usage rate is 92 percent (compared to the national seat belt rate of 86 percent), law enforcement is still obligated to ensure that drivers and passengers are properly secured and obeying laws for their own safety. 

"Distracted driving, specifically the use of cell phones while driving, continues to be a major factor in crashes in the city, following the trend of state and national data as well," he said. "While our total amount of vehicle crashes (1,817) was a five-year low for the City of Dover (in 2016), I firmly believe that we can continue to drive that number down through distracted driving enforcement efforts and make our streets safer to travel.”

Distracted driving facts and statistics

• The number of people killed nationwide in distraction-affected crashes in 2016 was 3,450.

• An estimated 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in 2015.

• 10 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.

• Drivers in their 20s make up 27 percent of the distracted drivers in fatal crashes.

• Engaging in visual-manual subtasks (such as reaching for a phone, dialing and texting) associated with the use of hand-held phones and other portable devices increased the risk of getting into a crash by three times. 

• Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55 mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.

• A quarter of teens respond to a text message once or more every time they drive. About 20 percent of teens and 10 percent of parents admit that they have extended, multi-message text conversations while driving. 

Seat belt facts and statistics

• 44 percent of all occupant fatalities in 2016 were unrestrained

• January through June are the months with the most unrestrained crashes

• 39 percent of unrestrained crashes happen between 5-10 p.m.

• Wearing a seat belt increases your chance of surviving a crash by almost 50 percent while reducing the severity of an injury.

• 77 percent of people involved in unrestrained crashes are males

• You are four times more likely to be killed in a crash if you are ejected from a vehicle because you are not buckled up

• Hospital data shows that unbelted occupants in crashes are three times more likely to require a hospital stay. On average, hospital costs for an unbelted crash victim are 55 percent higher than those for a belted crash victim.

• Strong seat belt laws protect families. When parents are buckled up, 90 percent of the time their children are too.

Reach Jerry Smith at jsmith17@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JerrySmithTNJ.