South OC Times

San Clemente, Ca. (April 25, 2024): The Sheriff’s Department in San Clemente is intensifying efforts to tackle distracted driving, a perilous and unlawful behavior that poses a threat to road safety. Deputies will concentrate on drivers engaging in activities such as talking, texting, or using apps on their phones without hands-free mechanisms, all of which violate California's cell phone law.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving, particularly phone usage, has led to tragic consequences, with 3,450 fatalities attributed to distracted driving in 2016. A study conducted in 2018 by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) revealed that nearly 5 percent of California drivers were unlawfully using their phones while driving, either by talking or using their devices without hands-free functionality.

The Sheriff’s Department emphasizes the importance of prioritizing road focus over distractions like answering calls, reading texts, eating, grooming, conversing with passengers, adjusting GPS or the radio, changing clothes, or reaching for items on the floor. Drivers are urged to pull over to a safe location if they need to attend to important phone calls or make adjustments to their navigation systems.

To combat the temptation of using phones while driving, individuals are advised to either silence their devices or place them out of reach. The enforcement operation against distracted driving is made possible through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.