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There are two new mobile traffic safety devices that will be used to detect distracted driving and flash a warning to drivers in D.C. The devices consist of electronic signs mounted on small trailers and equipped with laser scanners capable of discerning whether a cellphone is in the hand of a driver and whether a driver’s eyes are fixed on the road ahead. The devices are similar to electronic sign boards that detect a vehicle’s speed and flash a warning message to the driver to slow down.

Highway safety regulators are kicking off a new campaign to reduce distracted driving, particularly targeting younger drivers who are the most likely to die in distraction-related crashes. Distracted driving dropped by an average of 6.6% in Michigan, Ohio and other states after they passed hands-free laws, according to the research, released last week by the Governors Highway Safety Association and Cambridge Mobile Telematics.