Officers remind residents: U Drive, U Text, U Pay!

Law enforcement statewide focus on distracted drivers

Courtesy Nevada Highway Patrol

Law enforcement agencies statewide will be Joining Forces and focusing on Distracted Drivers April 1 through April 15, 2018. The Nevada Highway Patrol will be working diligently to urge motorists to keep their eyes on the road and put away cell phones or other items that cause distractions. On average, texting takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds. When traveling at 55 mph, that is enough time to cover the length of a football field.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said deaths reached 3,477 in 2015 due to distracted driving. Distracted driving is any activity that diverts your attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating, drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system—anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.

Nevada’s ‘no texting/electronic device usage while operating a motor vehicle’ law, or NRS 484B.165, was enacted in 2011. It allows for hands-free electronic communication while driving. Exemptions include those for first responders and emergency personnel while on duty and responding to an incident and a ‘Good Samaritan’ law; if another driver uses their cell phone to contact 911 due to witnessing an incident.