West Virginia law enforcement agencies participate in distracted driving campaign

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and West Virginia law enforcement agencies are working to discourage what has become a deadly epidemic on the road.

The Huntington Regional Highway Safety Program is working with other agencies in Cabell and five surrounding counties for its "U Drive, U Text, U Pay" campaign.

A grant from the West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Program will provide overtime to departments for extra patrols targeting drivers texting and talking on cell phones.

"A child maybe runs out into the street after their toy or a ball. Its very important that you're up, you're looking instead of looking down at at text message," Huntington traffic safety director Beau Evans told Eyewitness News.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 16,000 people have died and almost 2 million have been injured in distraction-related cases over a five-year period.

.