The Milpitas Police Department challenges drivers to ‘silence’ the distraction
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Milpitas Police Department will be joining law enforcement agencies statewide to stop drivers who violate the California hands-free cell phone law.
Throughout the month of April, the Milpitas Police Department will have additional officers on patrol looking specifically for drivers on their phones.
“Cell phones remain one of the top distractions for drivers and this bad habit can have life-altering consequences. A text or phone call will never be worth the loss of a life. That is why eliminating distracted driving is high on our priority list.” Armando Corpuz, Milpitas Police Chief.
In 2018, the Milpitas Police Department issued 1,216 citations to drivers texting, calling or otherwise using their phone illegally. Distracted driving is dangerous, especially when it involves a cell phone. According to preliminary data from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), 66 people were killed and more than 6,500 were injured in 2017 from distracted driving-related crashes.
The most recent law prohibiting cell phone use when driving went into effect in 2017. The law prohibits drivers from having a phone in their hand for any reason and only allows hands-free use of a phone when driving. To satisfy the hands-free regulation, phones must be mounted on the dashboard, windshield or center console, and can only be touched once with the swipe or tap of a finger to activate or deactivate a function. First-time offenders face a citation and $162 fine.
If you need to make a call or text someone, pull over and park at a safe location before doing so. Struggling to stay off the phone while driving? Put your phone in a place you can’t reach, like the backseat or trunk.
Funding for distracted driving enforcement operations are provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Press Release By: Sergeant Joseph A. Heylen #253
Date/Time: March 28, 2019 / 9:00 P.
