LaHood launches first federally funded distracted driving crackdown campaigns in CT and NY [w/video]
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/" rel="tag">Government/Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/marketing-advertising/" rel="tag">Marketing/Advertising</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/videos/" rel="tag">Videos</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/lahood-launches-first-federally-funded-distracted-driving-crackd/#continued"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/distracted-630.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><sma ll>The NHTSA is combatting distracted driving - Click above to <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/lahood-launches-first-federally-funded-distracted-driving-crackd/#continued">watch the video</a><br />
</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Starting on April 8 in Syracuse, NY and April 10 in Hartford, CT, drivers who are caught using a cell phone behind the wheel can expect to get a little more familiar with the local justice system. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has given the official go-ahead on a pilot program aimed at curbing <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/30/nhtsa-launches-distracted-driving-website/">distracted driving</a>, and police in those localities will be pulling over anyone they see texting or using a cell phone without a hands-free device.<br />
<br />
They've even come up with a catchy slogan for the crackdown: "Phone in one hand. Ticket in the other." Residents in the greater Syracuse and Hartford areas have likely been seeing a number of ads urging drivers to put down the phone since the first of April. You can check out one example after the jump. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/26/report-california-scraps-cool-cars-legislation-automakers-l/">Law enforcement</a> will be monitoring driver behavior over the course of the program to determine whether or not a nation-wide campaign will be worth the government's money.<br />
<br />
Speaking of dollar bills, the federal government has put up $200,000 for both localaties, matched by $100,000 from each state. If the program goes national, you can bet we'll see quite a bit more cash flow out Washington. Check out the full press release and a video <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/lahood-launches-first-federally-funded-distracted-driving-crackd/#continued">after the jump</a>.<br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://distraction.gov/">Distraction.gov</a>]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/lahood-launches-first-federally-funded-distracted-driving-crackd/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>LaHood launches first federally funded distracted driving crackdown campaigns in CT and NY [w/video]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/lahood-launches-first-federally-funded-distracted-driving-crackd/">LaHood launches first federally funded distracted driving crackdown campaigns in CT and NY [w/video]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/lahood-launches-first-federally-funded-distracted-driving-crackd/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19431518/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/08/lahood-launches-first-federally-funded-distracted-driving-crackd/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

أكثر...