Distracted driving is a habit CHP can help drivers break

SACRAMENTO – With a yearlong statewide campaign, the California Highway Patrol is working with the California Office of Traffic Safety to combat distracted driving by changing the habits of adult drivers through educational and enforcement efforts.

For the Adult Distracted Drivers campaign, which started Oct. 1, the CHP will conduct at least 100 distracted driving enforcement operations and at least 600 traffic safety presentations statewide. Simply changing driving habits can help stop distracted driving.

“Our goal with this grant is to educate the public about the hazards associated with distracted driving,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “The CHP will continue to encourage drivers to discontinue the deadly habit so everyone can reach their destination safely.”

Each year, distracted drivers kill or injure thousands of people. Distracted driving is a habit that can be broken. The campaign will remind drivers that the likelihood of being involved in an automobile accident increases dramatically if they drive distracted.

Cellphones are the top distraction for drivers because they have become central to daily life. Steering, braking and focusing on the roadway are priorities while driving. A person trying to drive and use a cellphone at the same time cannot do either very well.

“Texting while driving results in longer reaction times than drunken driving. When driving, your attention must be on safety,” Commissioner Stanley added. “Nothing on that phone is worth endangering your life or anyone else’s.”

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Submitted by California Highway Patrol.