Santa Cruz PD on Patrol for Distracted Drivers All This Month

SANTA CRUZ, CA -- April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Santa Cruz Police Department has joined law enforcement agencies across California in stopping drivers who violate the state's hands-free cell phone law.

Throughout the month of April, Santa Cruz Police Department will have additional officers on patrol looking specifically for drivers on their phones. Last year, the Santa Cruz Police Department issued 40 citations to drivers texting, calling or performing another function on their phone.

Distracted driving is dangerous, especially when it involves a cell phone. According Highway Patrol data, 66 people were killed and more than 6,500 injured in 2017 from distracted driving-related crashes.

“Cell phones remain one of the top distractions for drivers,” Santa Cruz Police Department Sergeant Scott Garner. “Like any bad habit, it can be hard to break, but this habit can have life-altering consequences.”

A 2018 observational survey by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) on driver cell phone use found about 4.5 percent of drivers are still using their cell phone illegally, a nearly 27 percent increase from 2016.

“That text or phone call will never be worth losing a life over,” Santa Cruz Police Sergeant Scott Garner said. “That is why curbing distracted driving is high on our priority list.”

Under the most recent cell phone law that went into effect in 2017, drivers are prohibited from having a phone in their hand for any reason and can only use their phone in a hands-free manner. The phones must be mounted on the dashboard, windshield or center console, and can only be touched once with the swipe or tap of a finger to activate or deactivate a function. First-time offenders face a $162 fine.