Justdrive.com launched to reduce distracted driving

New Jersey is taking aim at texting and driving with a public education campaign that will use television, print, radio and billboards to warn against multi-tasking behind the wheel.

“At 55 miles per hour, looking at a text is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded,” Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno said, in announcing the launch of Justdrive.com, the website that will anchor the campaign.

The site, developed by the Motor Vehicle Commission, will provide citizens with an online forum to share stories about driving behavior.

Thomas Louizou, Regional Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, was concerned about the increasing number of distracted drivers in the country. Texting results in 1.6 million accidents per year, reported The National Safety Council.

“There is absolutely no doubt that the number of drivers who talk or text from behind the wheel has reached epidemic proportions in this country,” said Louizou.

Justdrive.com comes almost a year after a new law increased the fines for distracted driving in New Jersey and gave judges the option of suspending a driver’s license for up to 90 days.