LANCASTER – The local California Highway Patrol office is increasing education and enforcement efforts for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April and California Teen Safe Driving Week, April-7.
Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. Common driving distractions include texting, talking on a cellphone, eating or drinking, applying makeup, or anything else that could potentially divert a driver’s attention away from the road.
CHP officers, from April 1 to April 5, issued 81 citations for distracted driving in the Antelope Valley, according to Officer Gil Hernandez.
Local reporters were invited on a 45-minute ride-a-long Tuesday morning as Hernandez focused on educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving.
Minutes into the operation, a bold motorist drove past the Antelope Valley CHP Office with his mobile phone in hand at chest level. The driver was pulled over on Avenue I, just west of 17th Street West, for violating the hands-free cellphone law.
“Drivers believe that it’s okay for them to be on speaker phone, and that is not the case because that is still a violation,” Hernandez said. “The law says the phone should be hands-free. At no point in time should your hands be holding your cellphone.”
A driver can also be cited for distracted driving if caught handling a cellphone while stopped at a red light, “because the vehicle is still considered in motion,” Hernandez said.
Another motorist was pulled over Tuesday morning after he was spotted holding a cellphone up to his ear while driving south on 15th Street West, approaching Columbia Way (Avenue M).
“I think that people talking on a cellphone when they’re driving is a bad thing,” the motorist said. “I was on a dirt road going 2 miles an hour… I did not anticipate that being an issue and I set the phone down as I got ready to pull out onto the paved streets.”
Two other CHP units Tuesday morning conducted a local enforcement operation that focused on distracted teen drivers, Hernandez said. Eight citations were issued during that operation, six of them for distracted driving, according to Hernandez.
“Distracted driving [enforcement] for the Highway Patrol here in California is not only the month of April. We have a yearlong emphasis on distracted driving in an effort to save people’s lives and prevent crashes,” Hernandez said.
The California Office of Traffic Safety has adopted the message of “Silence the Distraction” in new public service announcements aimed at getting drivers to turn off cellphones while driving so they will not be tempted.
In 2013, more than 426,000 citations were issued in California for distracted driving, and 57,000 of those citations were issued during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Hernandez said. Fifty people were killed and nearly 4,000 people were injured in 2013 in California as a result of driver distraction, according to the California Highway Patrol. In the average time it takes to send a text message – less than 5 seconds – a car traveling 60 mph will travel the length of a football field, Hernandez said.
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Rankin says
A little off the subject BUT I was recently almost rear ended when I stopped at a yellow light. Hope CHP and Sheriffs enforce this law before accident…..too many drivers speed up when they c yellow light. I noticed that many drivers hestiate to go when light turns green looking for red light runners…”
Jill says
Well how did CHP do it before cell phones?
While I agree with not using your cell phone while driving, I do not agree with the double standard the police use because they know they can get away with it. I have seen them even turn on lights because they didn’t want to stop at a red light. As soon as they got through the intersection, the lights went off and they proceed as usual. I may not know all the details in these circumstances, but I subscribe to practice what you preach.
Richard says
I agree with you Jill. A couple of years ago I was on Avenue N near the farm fields and had a near-miss head-n with a CHP officer. He was driving with a cell phone in his left hand up to his ear and his right hand reaching over to the middle of the dash. I think the car had a computer there. He had no hands on the steering wheel. He came over to my side of the 2 lane road and in spite of me honking my horn and such, I had to swerve off into the dirt shoulder to avoid a head-on crash at freeway speed. After we passed, I saw in my mirror that the officer gradually wandered back into his own side of the road. Talk about a double standard! PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!!! Cops should be the best drivers on the roads. Police officers are CITIZENS just the same as all of the rest of us and subject to the EXACT SAME set of laws. The US Constitution says there are no special classes of citizens in the US. Don’t you DARE try to tell me that Cops are not subject to any given law on account of their being a Cop. Any law which allows Cops to behave in a manner which any other person would be violating that law is itself a violation of the Constitution. How often do you see police officers even use their turn indicators? They obviously believe they are immune from or above our laws because nobody else can give them a ticket. It’s far past time to enact laws which allow other citizens a formal means to cite police officers for violating laws and regulations. They need checks and balances just as we were taught in school that our government has to keep any one branch from getting out of hand.
Greg says
Did you think to report the car after that incident? The officer would be given a talking to at the very least.
The One says
The Police stay on their phones constantly. How are you going to enforce something that you you do. PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH. Why can’t we have a number where we can report the law enforcement that TALK ON THEIR CELL PHONES while driving.
Ashley says
Law enforcement is allowed to use their cell phones while driving/working, so they are not breaking the law.
Victor says
Amen
JS says
UNLESS of course they are swerving, missing the light turning green, holding up everyone behind them because they still have their rear light bar on and no one wants to pass them THINKING THEY ARE ACTUALLY WORKING…or in other ways DISTRACTED FROM ACTUALLY DOING A GOOD JOB of DRIVING.
Dave G says
Calif. state traffic laws allow exemptions for law enforcement from certain traffic laws. That does include an exemption for using a cell phone because their job duties may require an officer to be called from dispatch or to make a call while following someone in their vehicle. It may not seem right to you, but they are allowed to do it. With that in mind, I guarantee you that officers are not casually carrying on non-vital conversations while driving on a regular basis because they are already too busy driving, listening to/talking on their two-way radio, or sometimes obtaining important information over their in-car computer terminal and they can easily be distracted too. They should, and often do pull over to the side of the road when possible to avoid these distractions when possible. Traffic laws have historically allowed law enforcement exemptions of certain traffic laws, so this is no different than what has been going on for decades – the only difference is there is so much more equipment, and ways to be distracted in today’s police vehicles.
RB says
How the hell can you be in motion and stopped at red light. It’s either/or, the law is designed to get as much money as possible, disguised with fear over public safety. The tickets don’t deter the behavior, so safety is still compromised.
AB says
Having been stuck behind cars MANY times when the light turns green and they just sit there because they are too busy texting and not watching the light signal, let me tell you that I appreciate this law. Yes your vehicle is not “in motion” but it is still distracted driving.
John says
When you see someone sitting next to you at a red light texting just roll forward a few feet and then brake when the lights still red. You can usually get the texting driver to drive right through the red light. This is especially fun to do to sheriff you are seen texting at a red light.
suckas!
SMHX2000 says
What about the police officers that drive and use their cell phones at the same time? I’ve seen it over and over, and I can assure you it is not work related by the grin on their face and giggles. Also, they turn on sirens or make illegal turns (for the same citations they just gave) just to pull in to a drive-thru for a hamburger or tacos. This article is too funny and I can’t wait to see CHP issue citations to other blues. AV Times please stop!!!
Pedestrian says
Good job CHP! I’ve almost been hit numerous times by distracted drivers if it wasn’t for me having to look in all directions before crossing the street. Keep up the good work.