Rogers Police Start Campaign Against Texting And Driving

ROGERS -- Police plan to crack down on drivers who text and drive as part of a national campaign April 10-15.

The effort is part of the "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." campaign using high-visibility enforcement with public outreach to keep drivers from texting while operating a vehicle, according to a news release.

Arkansas Act 181, passed in 2009, prohibits drivers from typing, text messaging, emailing or accessing information on the Internet with a hand-held, wireless phone. The law is intended to prevent accidents caused by distracted drivers and reduce crash-related deaths and injuries.

Rogers police received a $1,200 grant to cover overtime expenses incurred by officers involved in this year's campaign, said Keith Foster, spokesman. No local statistics are available for how many accidents have involved drivers using their cellphones or were otherwise distracted while driving in Rogers, he said.

Nationally, police say about 3,328 people died in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2012. Cellphone use was indicated as a contributing factor in 12 percent of those deaths, according to the nonprofit group Insurance Institute for Highway Safety-Highway Loss Data Institute.

The institute's numbers are the most recent from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NW News on 04/06/2014

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