Dear Jon: To text or not when stopped at the red light

You’re stopped at a red light, and a text message is coming in, do you pick up the phone and text back? I went to the California Highway Patrol for this answer. They tell me this is more than just about safety, it’s about life or death.

Life or death? It’s a sobering thought from California Highway Patrol officer Jaime Rios, “It comes down to asking yourself one question. Is it worth it? Is that text message worth me never seeing my family again? Is that phone call worth me potentially killing somebody else?”

Officer Rios makes the answer on this issue very plain, “You know, I tell people all the time that forget about fines the fees and the tickets, because you can get over that. It’s the fact that you could potentially lose your life or kill somebody else by making that one phone call or that one text message.”

So it’s all about not being distracted while behind the steering wheel of a car whether your stopped or not. “We want to make sure that anytime you’re on the roadway that the phone is put away or you have some type of hands free device. And that goes, even at a red light or a stop sign or when you’re stopped in traffic.”

Here’s an interesting perspective. Rios says their department does research and they’ve found that when you get into a car impaired, you increase your chance of getting into an accident by 8. When you get into vehicle and your distracted you increase your chance of getting into an accident by 23. Almost 3 times more likely to be in an accident when distracted than driving drunk, something to think about.

On occasion we see officers using their cell phones and there is an exemption for peace officers for necessary business. But Rios says the Highway Patrol frowns on officers using cell phones behind the wheel unless it’s absolutely necessary. “Our officers when they’re out doing patrol, they shouldn’t be on their cell phones while they’re driving. If not, they’re required to have a Bluetooth or some type of wireless device,” says Rios. Practicing the law they enforce is what that’s all about according to Rios.

And he says that goes for civilians too. When should you pick up your phone to call 9-1-1? “You can actually call 9-1-1 and use your cell phone. That is the exemption to the cell phone law, that is, if you are making an emergency call you can use your cell phone while driving, it’s not recommended unless it’s an extreme emergency.” Says Rios, “If you see somebody texting and they’re all over the roadway, they’re not paying attention to their surroundings or they could cause injury or death, make the emergency call on your cell phone.”

Officers will cite you if they see you violating the law, “If an officer is out doing active patrol and they’re looking for violations and they see somebody texting while driving, then of course they’re going to stop them and take the appropriate action.”

Says Rios, “It’s usually not that hard to find a distracted driver. The first year this law went into place we issued more than 113,000 citations.”

If you have a question for me, email me at ‘DearJon@KIONRightNow.com’