Fairfield police taking aim at distracted driving
FAIRFIELD — Police have kicked off a biannual campaign to limit distracted driving as violations continue to rise.
During the first week of April, Fairfield police logged 181 instances of drivers operating a motor vehicle with a handheld electronic device, according to department data. The number of cellphone violations is set to outpace the department's highest single-month total of cellphone violations from at least the past four years, which has stood at 377 in April 2021, data shows.
Connecticut law restricts drivers from using electronic devices without hands-free technology and prohibits those who are 16 or 17 years old from using an electronic device of any kind.
During a news conference Monday, Fairfield Police Chief Robert Kalamaras stressed the importance of crackdowns against distracted driving.
“These initiatives represent a collective effort to address this pressing issue from all angles, incorporating education, enforcement and community engagement,” he said. “The Fairfield Police Department is resolute in our mission to make roads safer for all.”
Monday's news conference featured Fairfield police, state and local leaders and a public affairs specialist from AAA for Distracted
Driving Awareness Month, who joined in discouraging distracted driving and reminding the public of its prevalence and danger.
The gathering came months after the fourth pedestrian since 2020 was struck and killed in a traffic collision in town.
"This issue has touched our lives deeply, claiming valued members of the community, including several in town, over the last few years that have certainly caught the headlines and really touched everybody,” said David Becker, the town's deputy emergency management director. “This has served as a stark reminder of the stakes that are at play here on this issue.”
A $50,000 grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, which police said they've received for at least the last 20 years, covers about 700 hours in pay so more officers can seek out and stop distracted drivers. The funding spans a month of increased police activity in the spring and fall and triggers a surge in traffic stops to hand out citations, which Sgt. Michael Stahl said ranges between $200 for a first offense to $600 for subsequent offenses.
Police stopped 389 vehicles between April 1 and this past Sunday. Last year, police pulled over 912 total vehicles during the entire month of April, and officials said they expect to pass that number this year.