Hundreds of drivers cited on the Central Coast during Distracted Driving Awareness Month
As Distracted Driving Awareness month comes to an end, California Highway Patrol says hundreds were cited here on the Central Coast.
During the month of April CHP-Santa Cruz cited more than 339 drivers, some on the already deadly Highway 17.
CHP-Monterey citing 154 drivers during the month of April. More than half of those were for texting or calling while driving.
Officers say the best way to reduce temptation, “keep it away from arms reach that way there’s no temptation there to try and use the phone. Or when you hear that ring try not to answer it. If the temptation is there it’s so easy if you’re at a red light to take a look, but this way when it’s not in arms reach there’s no temptation there,” say Officer Jessica Madueno.
Several drivers KION spoke with say they see it all too often, some even guilty of it themsleves. “Driving like I do between Salinas and Carmel Valley I see a lot of people who are distracted by cell phones. You can kind of tell the way they drive. I had a guy this morning on Highway 68 who did not cross over the yellow line, but it was enough to where he looked back onto the road and had to move back into his lane. So it is out there, we all do it and it’s part of life now-a-days,” says Richard Ducoing.
3.450 people died in distracted driving accidents nationwide in 2016. Accidents that could have been prevented, “reckless and distracted driving is the number one killer of teens in America today. So just remember to focus on the road ahead and get to where you’re going safely,” says Madueno. But while it’s the biggest killer among teens, it’s impacts everyone, “it compromises everyones safety, not just that of the driver that’s doing the distraction by answering a text or a phone call.”
CHP also wants to remind drivers while April is a month to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving, it’s something that needs to be practiced year round, “Just remember that April is distracted driving awareness month, but that doesn’t mean in the month of May we won’t continue to enforce this,” says Madueno.
