Results of Statewide Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign Released
The following is a press release from the CHP Office of Community Outreach and Media Relations:
Despite a statewide public education campaign about the dangers of distracted driving, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued 19,850 citations during the month of April to drivers who violated California’s handsfree cell phone laws. This total represents a 3.6 percent increase from April 2018. As part of the campaign, the CHP identified two statewide, zero-tolerance enforcement days, April 4 and 19. During that time, the CHP issued 2,459 citations to drivers for violating the handsfree law.
The CHP, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), Impact Teen Drivers (ITD), local law enforcement, and other traffic safety partners worked together throughout Distracted Driving Awareness Month to educate drivers on the dangers of distracted driving. Only statistics from the CHP were available for release.
In addition to phones, other serious distractions include eating, grooming, applying makeup, reaching for fallen objects, using a vehicle’s touchscreen, knobs, dials or buttons, changing clothes, or any other task that takes your eyes or mind off the road.
“Citations are just one tool law enforcement has at its disposal for combating driver distraction,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “Our ultimate goal is compliance with California’s handsfree law so that nothing diverts a driver’s attention or interferes with their ability to safely operate a vehicle.”
The OTS continued its “Go Safely, California” public awareness campaign for the month of April and early part of May with a focus on distracted driving. The education effort included TV and radio spots, social media posts, and outdoor billboards with messages encouraging Californians to put down the phone while driving.
“Drivers on their cell phone are a stubborn problem that will continue to require extensive education about the dangers and enforcement of laws against using cell phones behind the wheel,” OTS Director Rhonda Craft said. “It is a bad habit that may be hard for some to break, but is something that far too often leads to tragic consequences.”
ITD, a Sacramento-based nonprofit that educates teens on the dangers of reckless and distracted driving, kicked off Distracted Driving Awareness Month with a Teen Safe Driving Roundtable at California State University, Sacramento. ITD hosted the event with the CHP and the National Transportation Safety Board to discuss ways to improve teen driver safety where driver distraction is the primary cause of crashes.
“Seventy-five percent of teen fatal car crashes do not involve drugs or alcohol but everyday behaviors become lethal when a new inexperienced driver chooses to engage in them behind the wheel,” said ITD Executive Director Dr. Kelly Browning.
The OTS hosted an event April 12 at Sacramento’s Inderkum High School to educate students on the importance of driving free of distractions. Students even had the chance to experience first-hand how distractions impact your driving ability through simulator goggles.
The OTS is holding a statewide distracted driving video and billboard contest for high school students, with $15,000 in total cash prizes. All California high school students ages 14 to 20 are eligible to participate. The OTS is still accepting entries through May 20. For details on rules and how to enter, visit gosafelyca.org.
Distracted driving remains a top concern for California drivers. According to a 2018 public opinion survey conducted by University of California, Berkeley, nearly half of all drivers surveyed listed distracted driving because of texting or talking on a cell phone as their biggest safety concern on roads.
“Many drivers understand the risks they take looking at or using their phone, but do it anyway,” Director Craft said. “Drivers must use self-discipline and make it a habit to stay off the phone.”
California has had distracted driving laws since 2008. The CHP, the OTS, and ITD remind drivers that under the handsfree cell phone law, drivers are not allowed to hold a wireless telephone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle. Drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to use a cell phone for any reason, including hands-free.
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??Agian this is very good information but they need to add walking and texting as well because its becoming a serious problem.
So the CHP should lead by example, they break this law a hundred times per shift. Cops drive around on their phones constantly, along with pushing buttons on their dash board, talking through their radios, and eating. All while flipping unsignaled sudden U turns on the freeway.I went for one ride in the back of a CHP vehicle and watched them violate these rules the whole time, they have no business enforcing a law that they blatantly disregard. Just glance over at the next one you see speeding passed you while holding his radio talking.
[edit]All police officers have to use their phones and radios for communication. How many police vehicles have you noticed that were wrecked because of this?
We will never know, they investigate their own accidents so they get to provide the reason it wrecked, and they do wreck
I don’t think you get it. I guess you are anti-police.
If they need to use their phones while driving then the phones need to be hands-free, or they need to pull over.
It is against the law to drive and use hands-free phones. Do you expect them to pull over when responding to a Code 3 for a shooting, stabbing, fire, serious car accident, etc. I don’t think so. You want them to pull over if you call for help? No, I don’t think so. Give them some slack, they are professionals at what they do.
They don’t become any different, they are regular humans with a job .Their uniform has no powers that make them able to drive distracted. There is absalutly no reason police communication devices aren’t all hands free especially when driving. Your basically saying I cant drive down the road and talk to someone on my phone, but you Martin can while flipping a bitch on the 101 , flipping on your lights and siren on the dash, punching it up to 90 and responding on your radio.You cops are just slightly full of yourselves.Same as your supposed to abide the speed limit , all police communication should be hands free just like the public or yes your gunna wreck while doing it eventually and likely into the public.Your no different then us
Almost every time I drive by a police officer they are using a cell phone, and not hands-free.
Somehow the idea that this condemns the police so that they should not condemn the public is specious. That the police do something wrong does not make the public right for doing the same thing. Maybe the police should address this issue publicly. Why do police drive while using cell phones?
The only thing that gets the attention of many people these days, that continue to break laws, is take away lots of their time and money. They need to go to distracted driving school until they change their ways and understand the dangers of this behavior.
Give them volunteer work hours that they have to do.
Raise the fines way up so they will think twice about breaking these laws. Take their driving privilege away if they continue to put their fellow drivers in danger around them. You will never stop all of this behavior, but making people accountable like they did with the drunk driving laws will slow it down.
Many people can’t seem to drive very well with two hands on the wheel and undistracted.
I got hit last year on Broadway by a recovering alcoholic using his phone and not paying attention. My wife and I got injuries from the 30 mile an hour impact because this idiot thinks he has to be on his phone 24/7! No one seems to want to be responsible for their actions any longer. Make them pay the price!!!