SACRAMENTO – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is launching a yearlong traffic safety campaign that combines education and enforcement in order to combat distracted driving, officials announced Thursday.
The CHP will complete a minimum of 50 distracted driving enforcement operations and at least 300 traffic safety presentations statewide by the end of September 2016.
Many distractions exist while driving, but cell phones remain the top distraction because so many drivers use them for long periods of time each day, according to CHP officials.
“For your safety and the well-being of those around you, keep your eyes on the road and not your phone,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow stated in a news release. “Nothing on that phone is worth endangering a life.”
Some of the most common types of distracted driving include: texting and driving, talking on a cell phone, eating while driving, grooming while driving, talking to passengers, operating a navigation system and adjusting the radio.
“Our goal with this grant is to further educate the public about the hazards associated with distracted driving and ultimately encourage drivers to discontinue the potentially deadly habit,” Commissioner Farrow added.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
[Information via news release from the California Highway Patrol.]
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Rego says
I walk along a thoroughfare here in W Lanc
regularly and like 6 out of 10 drivers out of every batch I observe either have a cell phone to their head or their head is in there lap texting
this is every time every day. Ave L the safest speedway there is.
AVSUX says
Are they going to cite the cops, whom I see on a regular basis driving around with a cellphone stuck to their ear, or do the pigs get a pass on that too?
Annon says
Start at the root of the problem….. don’t give drivers licenses to those who cant drive.
valleygirl says
Phone use and grooming I agree with, but the rest of the list? Really? Even the police are guilty of those actions. Must be another hairbrained Jerry Brown scheme to cull more money from the masses to support his welfare state. How about concentrating on getting people off the dang cell phones. I see that willfull abuse several times daily. Raise that ticket to $1K and maybe drivers will take heed.
Equal808 says
Agreed, Seat belts do not cause accidents.
Tim Scott says
At least they are launching a campaign against something that genuinely endangers other people. This is much better than their “click it because we need the money” campaign.