Massachusetts Campaign Aims To Nab Drivers On Phones
BOSTON (CBS) – Police around Massachusetts are reminding drivers that pulling up to a red light does not give the green light for them to take out their phone.
Massachusetts State Police are joining local departments for a three-week blitz aimed at curtailing distracted driving.
"You can't surf the web, you can't play Words With Friends, you can't be on Facebook," Jeff Larason, the state's director of highway safety, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey. "Any of those things, put the phone down and you can't do it at a red light."
As a part of the campaign, State Police Lt. Dan Griffin and Larason were on Soldiers Field Road in Brighton on Wednesday, watching for drivers using their phone at red lights.
Griffin said the practice of drivers texting or surfing the web at stop lights is too common.
"You'll notice it's almost a reaction when people automatically pick up their phones and start reading their emails. That's a violation of the law," Griffin said.
"It's gotten so bad that we're actually modifying our forms right now to track it better."
The "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." campaign starts Friday. Fines for improper cell phone use by drivers begin at $100.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports