Tuesday Tip- April is Distracted Driver Awareness Month

Distracted Driving continues to be a growing problem in California.  The National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA) again has designated April as National Distracted Driving Awareness

Month.  The Office of Traffic Safety & CHP are asking for support and partnership by local law

enforcement agencies to lower deaths and injuries caused by inattentive drivers.

 

In keeping with California’s statewide slogan “It’s Not Worth It,” we know that education and high

visibility enforcement are key in conveying the message that being distracted while driving is not

worth a collision, injury or death.  The first three years of this effort made tremendous

headway in heightening public awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.  Studies have

revealed that while texting, drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the

time it would take to drive the length of a football field.

 

Distracted driving is not just using your cell phone or texting while driving.  It can be eating or

drinking while driving, having a pet riding on your lap, applying make up, shaving, anything that

takes your attention away from your responsibilities as a driver.  

 

Arcadia Police Officers will be out all month focusing on educating the public with the dangers

associated with distracted driving. 

 

To avoid a distracted driving ticket or crash, Arcadia P.D. offers drivers the following tips:

•  Turn off your phone and/or put it out of reach while driving
• Include in your outgoing message that you can’t answer while you are driving
• Don’t call or text anyone at a time when you think they may be driving
• If you are in a vehicle where the driver is using their phone while driving, speak up!