–Drivers are using their cell phones less often while driving, 10 years after “hands-free” became the law, but distracted driving remains a serious safety challenge in California. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and safety advocates will focus on education and enforcement efforts statewide.
Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) has joined law enforcement agencies throughout
the state to step up enforcement along with awareness efforts by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to discourage distracted driving. Officers will have a special emphasis this month on enforcing all cell phone and distracted driving laws. The goal is to increase voluntary compliance by drivers, but sometimes citations are necessary for motorists to better understand the importance of a driving distraction.
April 13th is designated as a statewide enforcement date when law enforcement agencies will step up distracted driving enforcement activities. The California Department of Transportation will put distracted driving messages on the changeable message signs on freeways during April.
Traffic officers have issued hundreds of thousands of citations over the past three years to
those texting or calling on a hand-held cell phone. Recent legislation now makes it illegal to
use your smartphone’s apps will driving. Preliminary 2017 data shows nearly 22,000 drivers were involved in distracted driving collisions in California, a decline from the more than 33,000 drivers involved in distracted driving collisions in 2007, the last full year before the hands-free law went into effect.
SMPD reminds you of the following Safety Tips:
If you receive a text message or need to send one, pull over and park your car in a safe
location, but ‘never’ on a freeway. Once you are safely off the road, it is safe to text.
Designate your passenger as your “designated texter.” Allow them access to your phone
to respond to calls or messages.
Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving.
Cell phone use can be habit-forming. Struggling to not text and drive? Put the cell phone
in the trunk or back seat of your vehicle until you arrive at your final destination.
In April, SMPD will be deploying extra traffic officers with grant-funded resources at locations with higher numbers of traffic collisions. Violators will be stopped and cited with fines set at $162 for first time offenders. This campaign is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
