Driving while texting or talking on a hand-held phone is dangerous. That’s the message that Morgan Hill Police and other law enforcement agencies hope to get across throughout the month of April, which is recognized as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
<
During the month, MHPD, the Office of Traffic Safety and agencies throughout the state will work together to end distracted driving through education, and raise awareness about the associated dangers, according to an April 4 press release from MHPD. The campaign aims to change motorists’ dangerous distracted driving behavior year-round, and not just for one month.
<
The statewide campaign also aligns with the Morgan Hill City Council’s goal of reducing collisions and eliminating traffic related deaths, reads the press release. Distracted driving, police advice, is “100 percent avoidable, but it continues to be a serious problem among drivers.”
<
Police urge all motorists to silence their cell phones while driving and devote all their attention to the roadway. Adults should remind any new or inexperienced drivers in their household of the dangers of distracted driving. California drivers younger than 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone or hands-free device while operating a vehicle. Adult drivers may only use a hands-free device if they must use any personal electronic device while driving.
<
Other safety tips offered by MHPD include:
<
• Never text and drive;
<
• Don’t text or call others when you know they are likely to be driving;
<
• Don’t program your GPS or other devices while driving;
<
• Pull over and stop to read maps.
<
It has been 10 years since “hands-free” became the state law. In the last three years, California traffic officers have issued hundreds of thousands of tickets to drivers for texting or calling on a hand-held cell phone, according to police. A ticket for a first offense of driving while using a hand-held device is about $150, while a second or subsequent ticket can cost the same driver more than $250.
