Full Notification

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. What is distracted driving? You name it. Anything you’re doing in addition to driving that takes your hands off the wheel or your attention away from the road is distracted driving.

It’s no secret that distracted driving is dangerous and poses a serious risk to everyone on the road. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, drivers engaging in visual-manual subtasks, such as reaching for a phone, dialing or texting are three times as likely to get into a crash as drivers who aren’t. Yet, for many of us, the desire to do other things while we drive is something we struggle with every time we get in the car. When we pick up the phone to answer the incoming call or see what notification we just got, we groom ourselves in the car, we give our furry friend in the passenger seat (or on our lap) some much deserved attention, we check the map to see how long until we arrive or when we decide to eat a quick snack before we get to where we’re going, we’re putting ourselves and everyone else on the road at risk. If something is important enough it can’t wait, find a safe place to stop before you do it.

It’s a safe bet to say at any given moment there are distracted drivers on our city streets. Keep your eyes open for drivers who aren’t paying attention and be defensive when sharing the road with them. As always, officers will be watching for distracted and dangerous drivers and issuing citations in an effort to curb their behavior.

If you’re one who has a tendency to be distracted while you drive, do whatever you can to rid yourself of the distraction(s). If your phone can do it, turn on the Do Not Disturb While Driving feature so you’re not distracted by an incoming message. If you don’t have that ability the same thing can be accomplished by silencing your phone or storing it out of reach. If you’re trying to get in touch with someone you know is driving, wait until they get where they’re going before you call or text them.

Since all of us who travel on the roadways can be negatively affected by distracted drivers, let’s work together to make Sebastopol’s roads a safer place.