California Law Enforcement Works To Eliminate Distracted Driving
| December 31st, 2012
December 31, 2012 Distracted driving is a leading cause of motor vehicle accidents across the United States, and in California, more than 200 Car Accidents were attributed to the behavior. According to the Daily Democrat, the state is battling the problem with the “Phone In One Hand. Ticket In The Other” campaign. Experts say that using a cellphone while driving, even if it’s a hands-free device, can still take a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, or long enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 MPH. This can delay a motorist’s reaction times by as much as having a blood-alcohol limit of .08 percent. The campaign is being funded by a $600,000 federal grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and has allowed law enforcement statewide to participate in saturation patrols targeting drivers who are texting or talking while behind the wheel. The campaign is part of a pilot program that was launched in two other states in recent years and has already seen great success as well. Over the most recent ten-day enforcement period, more than 3,000 citations were issued to distracted drivers. The program was successful in other states in reducing the number of drunk drivers by as much as 72 percent. The California Personal Injury Lawyers with Berg Injury Lawyers would encourage all motorists to stay safe by eliminating distractions like cellphones before hitting the road.
