Petaluma Traffic Cops Issue 23 Tickets During Distracted Driver Operations

PETALUMA, CA -- April was Distracted Driving Month across California, and in observation, the Petaluma Police Department recently conducted an operation where it proactively sought out drivers using a cellular device while driving, and managed to issue nearly two dozen citations.

On Friday April 28, two members of the Petaluma Police Department’s Traffic Unit performed an operation in attempting to locate drivers who were either talking on their cell phones, texting on cell phones or receiving any type of information on their cell phone while they were driving.

The PPD says the operation resulted in a total of 29 traffic stops for various violations, 23 citations being issued, eight of them for distracted driving which included talking on and texting on cellular devices.

As of January 1, 2017 it's illegal in the state of California to have a cell phone in a drivers hand unless that driver is calling for emergency services.

The Petaluma Police Department says funding for the distracted driving operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Image via Petaluma police