By: Laura Soukkavong
Hopkinton – The Hopkinton Police Department has announced a high-visibility enforcement and education campaign set to run throughout April, targeting distracted driving across the community.
The initiative is funded through a traffic safety grant awarded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and its Office of Grants and Research. The effort is part of a broader statewide push to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities linked to driver inattention.
As part of the campaign, officers will increase patrols in key areas using overtime funding, focusing enforcement efforts where data shows the greatest risk. According to Traffic Safety Supervisor Sgt. Cody Normandin, nearly half of the town’s electronic device-related crashes between 2022 and 2024 occurred along the Main Street corridor, making it a primary focus for enforcement.
Police say the initiative will target violations such as texting while driving and improper cellphone use. In addition to enforcement, the campaign includes an educational component aimed at reminding drivers that even brief distractions can have serious consequences.
Deputy Chief Scott van Raalten emphasized that the goal is prevention, not just enforcement.
“No text message or notification is worth the cost of a crash, an injury, or a life,” van Raalten said. “This campaign allows us to put more officers on the road to address a dangerous behavior that puts everyone at risk.”
He also pointed to a recent crash on Wood Street, where a vehicle struck a house on March 16, as a reminder of how quickly situations can escalate when attention is diverted from the road.
The campaign is supported by federal highway safety funding through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and administered locally through state agencies.
Officials say the department will continue working with regional and state partners to improve roadway safety and encourage drivers to remain fully focused behind the wheel.