Department to Target Distracted Drivers

The month of April has been designated as Distracted Driving Awareness Month by state Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and California Highway Patrol. Our agency recognizes the hazardous traffic situations that occur when drivers are using their cell phones and texting on our roadways and as a result we are joining agencies throughout the state on this enforcement campaign.  Officers will be looking for drivers that are texting while driving or failing to use a hands-free device while using their cell phone.

Here are some facts from the state OTS:

• 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve some sort of driver inattention.
• Up to 6,000 people nationwide are killed in crashes where driver distractions are involved.
• Talking on a cell phone or texting is the number one source of driver distractions.
• Texting takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, far enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph.  Most crashes happen with less than 3 seconds reaction time.