Desert Deputies To Target Distracted Drivers During Operation

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA — Riverside deputies in Rancho Mirage will set up an operation to monitor for drivers violating California's hands-free cell phone law on April 4, authorities said.

Authorities did not specify the location or exact time frame they would be on the lookout for distracted drivers.

“A driver’s focus should be on the road, not their phone,” Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Don Olson said. “That text, phone call, email or social media post is not worth the risk to yourself and other people on the road.”

Nearly 72% of drivers surveyed said that their biggest safety concern was distracted driving caused by texting, according to a 2022 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey. Some 56,000 tickets were issued in 2021 alone by the California Highway Patrol for distracted driving.

According to state law, drivers cannot hold a phone or any other electronic communications device while driving. This includes talking, texting or using an application. The crime is punishable by a fine. However, violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction could result in a point added to a driver's record, according to the Sheriff's Department.

Drivers are urged to pull over to a safe parking spot to take important phone calls, texts or emails.