‘Put the Phone Away or Pay’ campaign runs from April 1 to 30
during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
CARTERET, NJ – Law enforcement officers from the Carteret Police Department will be cracking down on distracted drivers during April as part of New Jersey’s “Put the Phone Away or Pay” enforcement and awareness campaign.
Throughout April, motorists can expect to see increased patrols and awareness messaging targeting distracted driving with a focus on dangerous handheld cellphone use, like texting, phone calls, and scrolling.
The state Division of Highway Traffic Safety provided $706,860 to 126 municipal and county law enforcement agencies for the campaign. Carteret received $7,000, the fourth highest amount awarded.
“We are grateful to the State Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Highway Traffic Safety for their generosity in helping to keep our roads safe,” Mayor Daniel J. Reiman said.
In 2024, 42 percent of crashes in New Jersey involved a distracted driver, resulting in 175 fatalities and 1,500 serious injuries, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that from 2011-2020, 32,000 people were killed in distracted driving-related crashes on our nation’s roads. Driver inattention has remained the most frequently cited cause of fatal and incapacitating crashes in NJ, contributing to 50 percent of NJ crashes from 2016-2020.
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and 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. Drivers are urged to put their phones away when behind the wheel. Follow these steps for a safe driving experience:
- If you are expecting a text message or need to send one, pull over and park your car in a safe location. Once you are safely off the road and parked, it is safe to text. Ask your passenger to be your “designated texter.” Allow them access to your phone to respond to calls or messages.
- Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving.
- Cell phone use is habit-forming. Struggling to not text and drive? Activate your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” feature, or put your phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of your vehicle until you arrive at your destination.
New Jersey law prohibits using a handheld cellphone or device while operating a motor vehicle. Violating this law can result in fines of $200 to $400 for a first offense, $400 to $600 for a second offense, and up to $800 for subsequent violations, along with the addition of three insurance points. All violations also require a mandatory court appearance.
Last year, New Jersey’s distracted driving enforcement campaign resulted in 6,872 citations for cellphone use or texting and 4,337 for careless driving in April 2025.
The Attorney General’s press release about “Put the Phone Away or Pay” can be found at njoag.gov/ag-davenport-division-of-highway-traffic-safety-announce-increased-enforcement-to-combat-distracted-driving/. For more information on traffic safety efforts undertaken by the Division of Highway Traffic Safety, visit njsaferoads.com.
