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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Eleven law enforcement agencies serving nine of North Dakota’s most populated areas are deploying extra patrols to enforce texting and driving laws.

The enforcement is sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Extra patrols will be cracking down on drivers who are texting while driving. Officers announced that vehicles that are stopped also fall under this law. the fine for texting while driving is $100.

Officers will look for drivers exhibiting behaviors or postures consistent with using a mobile device to compose, read, or send data. Multiple vehicles will be used to observe texting drivers.

“This month’s enforcement focus on texting while driving is for the safety of the traveling public,” said Karin Mongeon, director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s Safety Division. “The increased enforcement allows law enforcement to stress the importance of driving distraction-free before motorists hurt themselves or somebody else.”

The AAA Foundation found that any cell phone use by a driver multiplies the chance of a crash by a factor of four. A crash is 23 more times likely to crash due to texting and driving.

Agencies participating in U Drive. U Text. U Pay. enforcement in September include police departments in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot, Valley City and Watford City. The Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department and the University of North Dakota have also scheduled extra enforcement to cite texting drivers.

Find more at dot.nd.gov or ndcodefortheroad.org.