FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Commissioner David J. Swarts of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), along with members of the New York State Police, Syracuse Police Department and the Onondaga Sheriff's Department announced today that 2,146 tickets were handed out in Syracuse between July 22 and July 31 for talking on a cell phone or texting while driving.

"These numbers prove that distracted driving truly is a serious traffic safety issue," said DMV Commissioner Swarts. "I commend the cooperative efforts of these law enforcement agencies as they continue to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of texting or using a cell phone while driving."

This represents the second Distracted Driving Enforcement Project (DDEP) wave to be conducted in the area. The first enforcement period, between April 8 and April 17, resulted in 2,300 tickets being issued. The campaign entitled "Phone in One Hand. Ticket in the Other", utilizes increased law enforcement efforts combined with effective public advertising to remind drivers to put down their cell phones and focus on driving. The campaign is similar to other national campaign models such as "Click it or Ticket" and "Over the Limit. Under Arrest"

"While there is no way to measure how many lives were saved or injuries prevented, I am confident that we did prevent injuries and did prevent a life from being lost by conducting this enforcement," said Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler. "This type of police work sends a positive message for motorists to pay attention when driving. We will continue to be diligent in our traffic enforcement efforts to make our streets safe."

In 2008, 6,000 people were killed nationwide and more than half a million were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. In New York State, at least one in five crashes has distracted driving listed as a contributing factor. Using a cell phone while driving, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, equivalent to driving drunk.

"Distracted Driving continues to be a major problem for law enforcement," said New York State Police Captain Jeffrey Raub. "However, the first two waves of this program have shown that the message is getting out and the public is responding. We must continue to treat the dangerous practice of texting or phoning while driving with the same fervor we applied toward the unbuckled seatbelt problem, and eventually we will experience the same favorable results we've seen in that area. In the end, it's the public that deserves the credit for adopting safer driving habits."

"I strongly believe that this second wave of enforcement has been successful in raising awareness to the dangers that distracted driving brings to our roadways," said Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh. "I am hopeful with continued enforcement and education efforts we can convince motorists that hanging up their cell phones is the only call they should make."

The DDEP was launched in Syracuse on April 8 by Governor David A. Paterson, United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Commissioner Swarts and members of the New York State Police, Syracuse Police Department and the Onondaga Sheriff's Department. Syracuse, and Hartford, Connecticut, were the only two cities in the country chosen by the U. S. Department of Transportation as the recipients of a $300,000 federal grant to target distracted driving during four high visibility enforcement waves. The results of the project will be used to develop a national model for combating distracted driving. The next two public awareness and enforcement waves are scheduled for October 7-16, 2010 and April 7-16, 2011.

For more information on distracted driving, please visit www.safeny.com or www.distraction.gov.