For Immediate Release:
March 28, 2022
Petaluma Police Department
Jennifer Pritchard, Community Engagement Liaison
707-778-4458, [email protected]
Put Down the Phone and Just Drive: April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Petaluma, Calif. – April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Petaluma Police Department will be actively looking for drivers throughout the month who are in violation of the state’s hands-free cell phone law.
“Holding your phone and using it while driving is not only dangerous, but also illegal,” Traffic Sergeant Walt Spiller said. “For the safety of your family and others on the road, put the phone away and focus on driving.” From March 2021 to March 2022 the Petaluma Police Department has issued 263 traffic tickets related to hand-held cellular device violations. For that reason, our Traffic Division is extremely dedicated to spreading awareness on the dangers of texting while driving.
According to the 2021 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey, nearly three out of every four drivers surveyed said that distracted driving because of texting was their biggest safety concern. In 2019, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued nearly 20,000 citations during the month of April to drivers for hands-free cell phone law violations.
Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle. This includes talking, texting, or using an app. Using a handheld cell phone while driving is punishable by a fine. Violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.
If you have an important phone call, text, email, or need to program directions, pull over to a safe parking spot. Before starting the car, either silence your phone or put it somewhere you can’t reach.
Always report distracted driving to 9-1-1. Your call can save someone's life!
Funding for distracted driving enforcement is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
