By Mike Hazlip—
Citrus Heights police are stepping up efforts to curb distracted driving in an enforcement period this month.
A press release from the department says the enforcement period began April 4, and will continue through April 11. The enforcement will focus on drivers suspected of violating the state’s cell phone use laws.
Drivers are not permitted to hold a phone or other electronic communications device while driving, the release said. Talking, texting or using an application are also prohibited by state law.
In the effort billed as “U drive, U text, U pay,” violators may be punished with a fine, police say. Repeat violators ticketed a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction may have a point added to the driver’s record, the release said.
“A driver’s focus should be on the road, not their phone,” Citrus Heights Police Sgt. Kane Kissam said in the release. “That text, phone call, email, or social media post is not worth the risk to yourself and other people on the road.”
Police say drivers who need to make an important call or look for directions should pull into a safe parking lot. Drivers are also encouraged to silence their mobile devices or put them in a location that is out of reach while driving.
Funding for the operation comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the release said.
Distracted driving accounted for over 3,000 deaths in 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. The association defines distracted driving as “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system.”
