Texting Crackdown Ahead For Danbury Area Drivers
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - Drivers in the Danbury area may soon find themselves snared for texting behind the wheel and they may be left scratching their heads as to how the violations were discovered.
A $275,000 federal grant will allow police to employ some unusual techniques when they launch their enforcement effort.
Danbury police say they're considering using spotters on highway overpasses and putting police in SUVs allowing them a good view to the goings on in smaller and lower cars traveling the highways.
Texting Crackdown Ahead For Danbury Area Drivers
St. Rep. David Scribner, a member of the transportation committee, is trying a number of ways to break this social behavioral trend.
"One of the bills that I proposed during this session which will be raised out of the transportation committee is to create an elevated level of the infraction so that there will be a points associated with it that will then get reported to your insurance company," Scribner told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.
For repeat offenders, Scribner said he would like to boost fines to $500.
Scribner said it isn't so much what the hand is doing while texting, but the very distracted state of the driver's mind.
"If you're concentrating on reading a message or texting a message or listening to the conversation on the other end, you're really not focused on what's going on around you while you're driving," he said.
How would you crack down on texting while driving? Share your ideas below.
