Annual Crackdown Continues the Fight against Distracted Driving

While the federal government continues to deliberate instituting a nationwide ban on cell phones usage while behind the wheel, local law enforcement agencies are hitting the streets on the lookout for dangerous offenders in an attempt to limit one of the fastest growing causes of fatal accidents across the country. In California, the April campaign has become a disheartening tradition, highlighting drivers’ refusal to put away their phones while driving.

In 2012, police in California issued more than 425,000 tickets for the use of hand held phones, a small decrease from 2011, though still 41% higher than 2009. Over the same period, text messaging citations have grown by 640%. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 69% of drivers throughout the country still talk on their cell phones, while 33% still send text messages, despite a wealth of data clearly demonstrating the dangers of doing so. “Surprised, no. Dismayed, yes,” says Chris Cochran, a spokesman for the California Office of Traffic Safety. “After the intense media, public awareness and enforcement campaigns that have been mounted the past four years, we would hope to see a turnaround.”

As April again approaches, California law enforcement agencies are preparing for another heavy workload. Last year, police wrote more than 60,000 tickets and citations during the crackdown, a number up from 52,000 the year before, and more than double the average monthly total for the rest of the year. This year, more of the same is expected. “I am still amazed as to how many people still use the cell every day,” says Alameda County sheriff’s Sergeant Tom Rodrigues. “People don’t get it. I think that the fine should be $500 for the first violation. This might wake people up.”

Text messaging represents the largest threat to both drivers and police officers, as it is both incredibly dangerous and difficult to detect. Despite the high number of citations delivered, the true number of people sending text messages while driving is likely much, much greater, as it is easy to conceal from the outside, says Traci Rebiejo, and officer from the city of Livermore. "It's a hard ticket to write," she notes. "Most of us think it's far more widespread." Because it requires drivers to take their eyes off the road, there is an increased possibility of suddenly veering into a neighboring lane, or of not seeing a pedestrian or biker in the vicinity.

Throughout the country, 3,331 people were killing and another 400,000 injured in accidents caused by distracted driving in 2011. Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called distracted driving “a national epidemic”, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has called for nationwide bans on all cell phones usage, though such legislation has yet to see the floor of Congress. The NHTSA would like cell phones usage of any kind, including hands-free usage, banned, as most studies demonstrate that hands-free devices cause the same level of distraction as hand held ones.

Most states have banned the use of hand held devices already, though only some have outlawed hands-free systems, including California. And yet, even with the laws in place, drivers continue to fiddle with their phones while driving. For the dangers of distracted driving to become alleviated, a change in behavior is needed beyond federal legislation. So long as drivers ignore the dangers, the dangers will still exist. Only when motorists set their phones aside and focus on the task of driving will the roads become a safer place.