Distracted Drivers the Focus of April Campaign

It's National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so texters and and talkers, you know what that means: Pay attention—or pay up.

From April 9 to 13, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies will be conducting a Zero Tolerance Campaign against distracted drivers. Hand-held cell phone use while driving has been banned in California since July 2008. First time offenders caught texting or holding their phones and driving face a $159 fine plus court fees. A second offense can cost at least $279.

“Drivers need to ask themselves, ‘Is that phone call or text message worth my life or the lives of those around me?’” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a statement. “The answer is simple, it’s not worth it. Every distraction affects a driver’s reaction time, and things can change without notice.”

Authorities across the state will be focused on these so-called "zombie" drivers all month long, with the local campaign centered around April 9-13. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, the 2011 month-long campaign brought in 52,000 citations during April—four times the average amount.

While teens, who are used to having technology constantly at their fingertips, can be particularly vulnerable to zombie driving behaviors, adults, too, must pay attention, officials said.

”Parents and other adults need to set a positive example,”  Christopher J. Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety, said in a statement. “Start by never calling or texting anyone, especially your kids, when there’s a possibility they might be driving. Then let that same action follow you when you are the driver.” 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting takes a driver's eyes off of the road for 4.6 seconds, which is like driving the entire length of a football field at 55 mph—blindfolded.

A few tips from the Sheriff's Department for safe driving this month:

• Turn off your phone or put it out of reach before starting the car. 

• Alert callers that you are unable to take calls when driving by changing your voicemail message. 

• Make it a point not to call or text anyone who may be driving, such as during the commute to and from work or school, especially parents calling teen drivers. 

• If you do need to make an important call or respond to a text message, pull over to a safe place to do so. 

• If going cold turkey is too much of a stretch and you just can’t turn off your phone, consider using one of the available mobile phone apps that holds calls and incoming texts.

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