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Kentucky law enforcement cracking down on distracted driving

State had 53,500 crashes in 2014 from distracted driving

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 8, 2015) — In conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month law enforcement agencies in Kentucky are participating in the second annual national texting enforcement crackdown U Drive. U Text. U Pay.

textKentucky’s texting law, which took effect April 15, 2010, bans texting for drivers of all ages while the vehicle is in motion.

For drivers over 18, it allows the use of global positioning devices and reading, selecting or entering a telephone number or name for the purpose of making a phone call. Texting is allowed only to report illegal activity or to request medical or emergency aid.

For drivers under 18, no use of personal communication devices, such as cellphones and pagers, is allowed while the vehicle is in motion. The use of a global positioning system is allowed, but manually entering information must be completed while the

Violators will be liable for fines of $25 on a first offense and $50 on each subsequent offense, plus court costs.

In Kentucky in 2014, there were over 53,500 crashes resulting in over 14,000 injuries and 169 fatalities due to distracted driving.