The Antelope Valley Times

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CHP targets distracted drivers

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Around 1:50 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, a driver was stopped for making an illegal left turn from westbound Avenue I onto Sierra Highway. The traffic stop was part of a local CHP enforcement effort focusing on distracted driving and other traffic violations.
Around 1:50 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, a driver was stopped for making an illegal left turn from westbound Avenue I onto Sierra Highway. The traffic stop was part of a local CHP enforcement effort focusing on distracted driving and other traffic violations.

LANCASTER – Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. The practice is unsafe and can result in a traffic collision, possibly injuring or killing yourself or somebody else.

So says California Highway Patrol Officer Gil Hernandez, who conducted traffic enforcement in the Antelope Valley on Wednesday aimed at educating the public on distracted driving and the danger it poses.

Hernandez said he was watching for common driving distractions, including texting, talking on a cell phone, eating or drinking, applying makeup, or anything else that could potentially divert a driver’s attention away from the road.

In a little over an hour, Hernandez made four traffic stops for various violations, including distracted driving, flicking cigarette ash out the window, wearing earbuds while driving and making an illegal turn.

“Our goal is to eliminate those behaviors and high-risk factors that cause traffic collisions,” he said.

Next up, the local CHP is preparing for its annual Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP), which begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 29, and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 2.

The Labor Day MEP also coincides with the ongoing national drunk driving enforcement crackdown, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

Last year during the Labor Day MEP, 49 people were killed in collisions on California roadways, which was a 40 percent increase from the same period in 2012. More than 70 percent of those killed in collisions within CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seat belt.

To help make the holiday weekend safe for everyone, CHP officials are urging drivers to buckle up, drive at a safe and legal speed, avoid distractions, and designate a driver.

Around 2:10 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, a driver was stopped on the southbound 14 Freeway near the Avenue M exit for wearing earbuds while driving.“The law says you can only have one ear covered at a time, you can’t have both; so even though he wasn't on his cell phone, he was in violation of the law,” Hernandez said. “It’s a hazard and a safety issue because if there’s an emergency vehicle that’s coming, he won’t be able to hear that.”
Around 2:10 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, a driver was stopped on the southbound 14 Freeway near the Avenue M exit for wearing earbuds while driving.“The law says you can only have one ear covered at a time, you can’t have both; so even though he wasn’t on his cell phone, he was in violation of the law,” Hernandez said. “It’s a hazard and a safety issue because if there’s an emergency vehicle that’s coming, he won’t be able to hear that.”
Around 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, a driver was stopped on eastbound Avenue M near 10th Street West for flicking cigarette ash out the window. “I didn't think that I did anything wrong,” the driver said. Hernandez said the practice is not only against the law, but it can be a major fire hazard as well.
Around 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, a driver was stopped on eastbound Avenue M near 10th Street West for flicking cigarette ash out the window. “I didn’t think that I did anything wrong,” the driver said. Hernandez said the practice is not only against the law, but it can be a major fire hazard as well.
Around 2:50 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, Chaylene Latanzi was stopped on the northbound 14 Freeway near the Avenue K exit for handling her cell phone while driving. Latanzi said she was on her way to her second job and had picked up her cell phone to connect it to the charger. She acknowledged that doing so was unsafe and definitely not worth it. “The important thing is that she understands,” Hernandez said, adding that educating the public was one of the main reasons for conducting traffic safety operations.
Around 2:50 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 27, Chaylene Latanzi was stopped on the northbound 14 Freeway near the Avenue K exit for handling her cell phone while driving. Latanzi said she was on her way to her second job and had picked up her cell phone to connect it to the charger. She acknowledged that doing so was unsafe and definitely not worth it. “The important thing is that she understands,” Hernandez said, adding that educating the public was one of the main reasons for conducting traffic safety operations.

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

11 comments for "CHP targets distracted drivers"

  1. If the City of Palmdale wants to keep the streets and drivers safe they should lower the speed limit. There are so many fatalities in Palmdale. I read in the Antelope Press in Palmdale you are more likely to be killed in a car accident then a homicide. The accidents I’ve seen in Palmdale or horrific. No one gets arrested or is responsible because drivers are able to drive 65/70; for example on Pearblossom. It’s like a game of chicken trying to turn onto Pearblossom from the side streets.

    Oh that’s right the City of Palmdale can ticket someone putting on lipstick, but they can’t ticket a corpse.

  2. All I will say is that the idea sounds great, however, I have witnessed many times in East Lancaster many sheriff deputies driving while talking on their cell phones. I am sure I am not the only one who has seen those guys also break a couple of traffic laws and not even while chasing anyone. So, let’s be equitable and fair and start by educating the deputies and any other law enforcement people so that their effort has validity and credibility. I also have another suggestion for all the cities in the United States of America that hire the services of this company called Sheriff Department to please raise their hiring standards and require the applicants to have at least a BA in order to apply. What do you people think?

    • First responders are allowed to use their cellphones but only for business calls. They can’t make personal calls while on duty. Like if they can’t be reached via radio or something and need to respond they can use their cellphones. That’s why most of them have a number provided by the county

  3. Super happy to see the CHP writing distracted driving tickets. I haven’t seen a LASD LEO pull anyone over for a traffic violation in years, although in their defense I’m sure they’re always responding to the next felony.

    Flicking ashes out a car window is a worthy ticket. If the cherry blew off it could easily start a fire. Probably not on 10th West but the idiot flicking the ashes probably does it driving through Acton too.

    Good job CHP

    • I went to traffic court once for a speeding ticket and some girl before me had a $500 ticket and mandatory cal trans for flicking ash out of her window. The judge told her sometimes the ash has embers on it and that’s why they cite you. Ash does not have embers. Of course the cherry is lit so I could see that but if you’re smoking in your car and you ash your cigarette you get a ticket? It’s stupid. Just another way to get money out of people.

      • I’d fight it. Burden of proof on that has to be near impossible to meet. Unless they have it on video; I sure hope they don’t have teams of deputies out there trying to “recover” ash, further wasting their time attempting to match the tobacco blend to your cigarette.

        To reiterate, I get the butt’s, it is a fire hazard. Ash though, ridiculous.

  6. are they going to give tickets for people who can’t see over the steering wheel? I sure hope so

  7. IT’S ABOUT TIME! I HOPE THEY KEEP IT UP!!
    IT LOOKS SO RIDICULOUS SEEING DRIVERS “LOOK UP” OCCASIONALLY, AND CONSIDER THAT DRIVING!