April is the “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.” Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a driver’s attention away from the task of driving. Because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, three seconds of texting while driving at freeway speeds is equal to driving the length of a football field blindfolded.
In 2013, the California Department of Motor Vehicles reported over 426,000 handheld cell phone and texting convictions, with more than 57,000 tickets issued in April alone. The CHP and statewide law enforcement agencies are committed to ensuring our streets are safe by ticketing anyone found driving while distracted. The ticket cost for a first time texting or hand-held cell phone violation is about $162, with subsequent tickets costing about $282.
To avoid falling victim to distracted driving behaviors, California Office of Traffic Safety and the CHP are providing drivers with the following tips that can be implemented by any motorist:
• Turn off your phone or put it on silent mode, then put it out of reach while driving.
• Record an outgoing message on your phone that tells callers you’re driving and will get back to them when you’re off the road.
• Adjust controls and set your song playlist before you set out on the road.
• If it’s urgent, pull over in a safe place to place a call.
• Focus on driving, and avoid eating, drinking, reading, grooming, smoking, and any other activity that takes your mind and eyes off the road.
The California Office of Traffic Safety, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and Department of Motor Vehicles remind you to drive safely not only during April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month, but every day throughout the year. Get more distracted driving information at www.distraction.gov, www.ots.ca.gov, www.chp.ca.gov and teen information at www.impactteendrivers.org.
Remember IT'S NOT WORTH IT!
