New Jersey’s crackdown on distracted driving is coming soon

You might want to put down your phone while you’re driving. The 2019 version of New Jersey’s UText UDrive UPay enforcement program is just days away. The crackdown is set to start on April 1st and runs through the 21st; according to the state’s Division of Highway Traffic Safety website, it is an HVE (high visibility enforcement) meaning they want people to know it’s coming.

State and local police alike will be looking for distracted driving in general as well as people using their phones specifically. Some of the methods used for enforcement include "roving police patrols, spotters on highway overpasses, and stationary police vehicles prominently placed at strategic locations.” There are many distracting things drivers do behind the wheel, but the state says using a phone is particularly dangerous because it involves visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver.

For a distracted driving first offense, the fine ranges from a minimum of $200 up to $400. The fines double for a second offense with a suspension, points, and a bigger fine for a third offense. You’ve been warned!

More from New Jersey 101.5