Police Crack Down on Distracted Driving

April is Distracted Driving Awareness month, and police in Redondo Beach will be issuing tickets to drivers caught texting, holding a cellphone to their head or otherwise driving distractedly. 

More than 225 local police agencies, in addition to the California Highway Patrol, are participating in the crackdown.

Fines start around $160. A second offense can cost at least $279.

"When we talk on our cellphones while driving, we are distracted from what is most important, driving safely," said Redondo Beach police Chief Joe Leonardi. "Whether it's boredom in traffic or getting that last thing finished at home or work, the law doesn't stop some people from continuing to use their telephones while driving."

In April 2012 alone, more than 57,000 people statewide got tickets for driving while distracted, according to police. Nearly 450,000 tickets were issued during the entire year.

About 3,300 people died nationwide in accidents involving at least one distracted driver in 2011, police said.

Drivers using a handheld electronic device of any kind are about four times more likely to injure themselves in a crash than drivers who aren't using them, according to studies cited by the Redondo Beach Police Department.

Young, inexperienced drivers under age 20 are most likely to get into an accident because of distracted driving, police said. 

Nevertheless, it's not just teens who are breaking the law. A recent commuter survey sponsored by AT&T found that 49 percent of commuters admitted to texting while driving, compared to 43 percent of teens who admitted doing the same. Ninety-eight percent of commuters who responded to the survey said that texting while driving is unsafe; however, more than 40 percent of those who admitted to texting while driving said it was a habit.

Studies have also shown that there is no difference in the risks between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations, according to the Redondo Beach Police Department. Both can result in "inattention blindness," which occurs when the brain isn't seeing what is clearly visible because the driver is not focusing on the road.

"When over one-third of your brain's (function) that should be on your driving moves over to cell phone talking, you can become a cellphone 'zombie,'" according to a news release from the department.

Texting while driving can delay a driver's reaction time just as severely as being legally drunk, according to police.

Redondo Beach police offer the following tips to avoid a distracted driving ticket or crash:

• Turn off your phone and/or put it out of reach while driving.
• Include in your outgoing message that you can't answer while you are driving.
• Don't call or text anyone at a time when you think they may be driving.

"This effort is intended to educate our community about the dangers of cellphone use while driving," Leonardi said. "We hope that once people see the statistics and realize the danger involved, they will change their driving habits to help protect themselves, their families and other son the road."