More than 100 tickets issued in phone crackdown

By Community Member | May 23, 2013 11:35 am

DRIVE SMART Virginia and the New Kent Sheriff’s Office just finished phase two of “Phone Down, Just Drive,” an education and enforcement project geared toward reducing the number of distracted truck and bus drivers on Interstate 64 in New Kent County.

A hand held cell phone ban for commercial drivers in the U.S. took effect Jan. 3, 2012.

The New Kent Sheriff’s Office is using dedicated motor carrier enforcement officers to spot offenders and issue violations. Deputies are spotting violators by patrolling a section of Interstate 64 in unmarked SUV’s. Deputies pull alongside trucks and observe drivers first hand.

“If they spot a truck or bus driver with a phone in their hand, they are going to make that stop,” said New Kent Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. “So far, we have issued more than 100 handheld citations over three weeks of targeted enforcement.”

The “Phone Down, Just Drive,” campaign ended May 17.