Law enforcement agencies receive distracted driving enforcement grants
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month across the state of Ohio.
There are new strengthened laws to keep in mind about cell phones if you want to avoid paying a ticket.
After Gov. Mike DeWine’s announcement, it’s now illegal for anyone in Ohio to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device while driving.
Thanks to funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more police officers in Mahoning and Trumbull counties will be on patrol checking for distracted driving.
Distracted driving awareness month
Other Mahoning agencies that currently have grants that allow them to work distracted driving enforcement include Boardman Police Department, Youngstown Police Department and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office.
In Trumbull, the Howland Township Police Department, Warren Police Department and the Trumbull
Cruisers from each department will be out monitoring drivers in the Mahoning Valley speeding and using cell phones.
Each department received a grant from the Federal Fiscal Year 2023 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of STEP, which stands for Selective Traffic Enforcement Program in Ohio.
These grants are not limited to distracted driving enforcement, but include other traffic safety enforcement initiatives like “Click It or Ticket” in May and June.
They also fund programs during prom and homecoming season to educate high school students beginning to drive about the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as being distracted by your phone. The STEP grants make these educational efforts possible throughout the school year.
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