El Centro Police crack down on distracted drivers
Distracted driving is on the rise and the El Centro Police Department is cracking down on people violating the law.
The department recently took part in a successful distracted driving effort where they issued over 200 citations during the month of April.
“We deployed several details of officers specifically looking to ticket individuals using their cellular telephones in a non-hands-free mode,” said Commander Robert Sawyer with the El Centro Police Department.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 3,477 people were killed nationwide in 2015.
In that same year 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
“The 203 citations that were issued in the month of April are specific to overtime details that are funded by the Office of Traffic Safety for officers to go out there and look just for that, those type of violations,” explained Sawyer.
Police officers suggest when getting your car to put your cell phone it in a place where it will be less distracting, like the glove compartment.
“Distracted driving isn’t strictly the use of cellphones, it can be a number of things, you know whether it’s taking your eyes off the road a couple of minutes while your turning back to see your child in the back seat, in some cases applying make-up, things of that nature,” added Sawyer.
Violators who are caught may get a hefty fine.
“The fines for utilizing your cellular telephone in a non-hands-free mode can begin at $162 per ticket, per incident. So if you receive multiple tickets it not only cost you financially for the ticket itself but for the cost and the points on your insurance and your driving record, it does affect your driving record overall,” said Sawyer.
Police tells us that lately that there is not a specific trend when it comes to the age of violators, they see distracted drivers of all ages.
If you have to touch your phone while driving, you’re in violation of the law.
