WILMINGTON, MA — According to a recent Boston Globe report, the Wilmington Police Department has issued the 9th most ‘texting while driving’ citations in the state since the law went into effect in September 2010.
“Our department takes all traffic safety initiatives seriously and I am happy to see we appear among the leaders on this important issue,” Wilmington Police Chief Micahel Begonis told Wilmington Apple.
“We are concerned with distracted driving and texting while driving because it is extremely dangerous,” continued Begonis. “The ubiquitous use of cellphone technology while driving should be a concern of everyone. When you are behind the wheel in traffic, your full attention should be on operating the vehicle safely.”
The National Safety Council estimates that 6% of all motor vehicle crashes involve drivers texting on cell phones, and an additional 20% of crashes occur when drivers are speaking on cell phones.
Based on data from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the top 10 Massachusetts police departments with the most texting citations issued are:
| Boston | 1,489 |
| Worcester | 699 |
| Cambridge | 448 |
| Springfield | 435 |
| Framingham | 428 |
| Andover | 413 |
| Fall River | 405 |
| West Bridgewater | 380 |
| Wilmington | 340 |
| North Andover | 333 |
Wilmington, the 87th most populated community in the Commonwealth, ranks at #9 with 340 citations.
Besides Andover (413), all of Wilmington’s neighbors have seen a much lower number of citations issued, including Woburn (192), Tewksbury (101), Burlington (79), Billerica (72), North Reading (61) and Reading (56).
Begonis told the Wilmington Apple that the numbers in the Globe report are the actual numbers and every department follows the same reporting practices.
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