The law forbidding the use of cell phones while driving may be well-intentioned but enforcement of such laws is notoriously difficult. Talking and texting while driving has been illegal in Delaware since 2011. And though the law may have reduced the number of crashes that may have occurred without it, the problem persists. According to the Dover Police, "there were 146 crashes last year attributed to distracted driving in Delaware, including 54 injuries and three deaths." While not all distracted driving incidents are related to cell phones, such a distraction is often the cause of crashes.
The City of Delaware has recently launched the "Put it Down" campaign. This is an effort to discourage drivers from using their cell phones while behind the wheel. Drivers who are under 20 years of age represent the largest age group of distracted drivers and are most likely to be involved in fatal distracted driving incidents.
Many times a distracted driver's behavior can be identified after a crash; phone records may be used to show a driver was on their phone at the time of a collision or other calamity. But this does not mean the distraction led directly to the crash. Furthermore, stopping the distracted driver from engaging in such dangerous behavior before a crash occurs is difficult. The police seem to acknowledge this. By launching this public relations campaign, they are encouraging the public to take their driving responsibility seriously. Though there are officers dedicated to identifying distracted driving, their task is a significant challenge and putting an end to distracted driving seems like a problem in need of a more feasible solution than law enforcement alone can provide.