Campaign targets distracted truck, bus drivers in NK

Truck and bus drivers be warned: you had better think twice if you are holding your cell phone while driving in New Kent.

DRIVE SMART Virginia, in partnership with the New Kent County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), will be conducting a distracted driving education and enforcement campaign this spring. Beginning April 8, truck and bus drivers traveling along Interstate 64 in New Kent will come across a serious message: Phone Down. Just Drive.

The New Kent Sheriff’s Office will be enforcing the FMCSA regulation that restricts the use of hand-held mobile telephones by commercial motor vehicle drivers. The sheriff’s office will be using its dedicated motor carrier enforcement officers to spot offenders and ticket violations.

“Our officers will be looking for any truck or bus driver reaching for, holding or dialing multiple buttons on their mobile phones while traveling on Interstate 64,” warns Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. “We see a large amount of trucks traveling in the area on their way to the ports and we want to make sure we are keeping our highways safe.”