(Omaha, NE) -- The Omaha Police Department teams up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the national U Drive. U Text. U Pay. campaign.
OPD says from April 4-10 law enforcement officers from across the country will work together to enforce texting and distracted driving laws to make roads safer. According to NHTSA, between 2012 and 2019, 26,004 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. While fatalities from motor vehicle crashes decreased slightly from 2018, distraction-related fatalities increased by 10%. NHTSA says research from 2017 shows that young drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007.
The fine for using a handheld communication device in Nebraska will result in a $200 - $500 fine and put 3 points on your driving record. OPD and NHTSA urge drivers to put their phones away when behind the wheel.