FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: April 2, 2014
Sonoma Police Joins Crackdown on Texting and
Handheld Cell Use Behind the Wheel
Sonoma, CA – As part of April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign, the Sonoma Police Department will be joining with over 200 other local law enforcement agencies and the California Highway Patrol in a month long “zero tolerance” enforcement and education campaign to curb those texting or operating hand-held cell phones while driving. Officers will be on alert throughout the month for those who break the cell phone laws and place themselves and others in danger. As part of a State of California Office of Traffic Safety grant, special high visibility enforcement operations to cite cell phone violators will take place on April 4th, 8th, 14th and 21st.
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. In addition, studies show that texting while driving can delay a driver’s reaction time just as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver. According to research, sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. Even a three second glance at freeway speeds means a driver has traveled the distance of a football field.
Chief Bret Sackett takes this issue very serious and is dedicating the department’s resources to ensure everyone is safe on the road. “There is no phone call that can’t wait,” according to Sackett. The current minimum ticket cost is $161, with subsequent tickets costing at least $281.
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