February 18, 2020 4:00 a.m.
Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office will participate in Connect to Disconnect April 6th-13th.
Sergeant Mark Norris said deputies will be specifically looking for distracted drivers and taking enforcement action. April 9th will be the main day for this event.
Norris said distracted driving is described as a dangerous behavior for drivers, passengers, and non-occupants alike. He said distraction is a specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from driving to focus on some other activity instead.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in Oregon from 2013-2017 there were just over 12,000 crashes resulting in 95 fatalities and nearly 12,000 injuries caused by wrecks involving a distracted driver.
Nationally during that time period, there were over 1,000 crashes involving a driver reported to have been using a cell phone at the time of the wreck. Those accidents resulted in 20 fatalities and over 1,500 people injured.
Funding for Connect to Disconnect is provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation.