Receive alerts from your local agencies
...or text your ZIP CODE to 888777 for mobile alerts

Full Notification

Ventura County Sheriff's Office
Tuesday March 30th, 2021 :: 03:58 p.m. PDT

Community

Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Nature of Incident: Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Location: Ventura County, Ca
 
Date & Time: April, 2021
Unit(s) Responsible: Camarillo Police Department Traffic Bureau
Narrative:
 
Give the Phone a “Break”: April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
 
Ventura County, Ca. – April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office encourages drivers to give the phone a break and focus on the road.
 
Throughout the month of April, the cities of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, and Thousand Oaks will have additional officers on patrol specifically looking for drivers who violate the state’s hands-free cell phone law.
 
“When you are driving, give the phone a rest,” says Captain Shane Matthews.  “A driver’s number one focus should be on the road. Anything that distracts you from the task of driving, especially a phone, puts yourself and others at risk.”
 
According to the 2020 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey, more than 75% of surveyed drivers listed “Distracted Driving because of TEXTING” as their biggest safety concern.
 
“Not driving distracted is a simple, but significant behavior change,” says Capt. Matthews. “The goal is to increase compliance with the hands-free cell phone law and keep people safe.”
 
Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or other electronic device while behind the wheel. Drivers under 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason, including hands-free.
 
If you need to make a call or send a text, pull over and park at a safe location. Drivers should silence their phones or put the phone out of reach, such as the glove box or trunk.
 
Funding for distracted driving enforcement operations are provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 
       
 
   
 
  
 
 
 

 
 
Prepared by: Sgt. Paul Richards  
News Release Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2021  
Media Follow-Up Contact: Sgt. Paul Richards
805-388-5132
 
 
Approved by:
 
Capt. Shane Matthews  

Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003

Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511

Navigate & Discover