To save lives and educate all Californians, especially young drivers, about the dangers of distracted driving, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), California Highway Patrol (CHP), Impact Teen Drivers, and more than 200 law enforcement agencies statewide, including the Murrieta Police Department, will be working together during the month of April on increased education and enforcement efforts for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Driving takes one’s full attention and any distraction can have deadly, dangerous consequences.
Imagine driving for four or five seconds while blindfolded. That can be the effect of looking down to send a text message.
In the average time it takes to check a text message – less than 5 seconds – a car traveling 60 mph will travel 440 feet or almost 1.5 times the length of a football field.
Throughout the month of April, the Murrieta Police Department, Riverside Sheriff and the CHP is focusing on educating the public about the dangers of driving distracted through local media interviews, visits to schools, and traffic safety presentations The Murrieta Police Department will be focusing traffic enforcement efforts and writing citations for cell phone violations and distracted driving.
The urge to read and answer an incoming message when we hear the text sound can be almost overwhelming. The Office of Traffic Safety is using a message of “Silence the Distraction” in new public service announcements aimed at getting drivers to turn off their phones while driving so they won’t be tempted.
No text, call, or social media update is worth a crash. With an average of less than one second to react to an urgent situation, drivers need to have all their attention on the roadway. While distracted driving can take on many forms and affects all road users, young drivers are at greatest risk due to their limited driving experience.
Each of us must drive responsibly, keeping full attention to the task at hand – DRIVING. If you have teenagers in your family who are driving, make sure they understand the laws and what their responsibilities are as well. Also, remember as a parent all your actions while driving will be remembered and considered acceptable by your teen drivers. The example set by parents and guardians is very powerful in modeling a teens driving behavior. The collective goal with this month-long campaign is to change the behavior of all drivers. That change begins with education.
The Murrieta Police Department appreciates all the support our community gives us throughout the year. This is an awesome community. We enjoy living here and consider it an honor to serve the citizens of Murrieta in our chosen profession of Law Enforcement. I welcome your questions and suggestions for future articles and can be contacted directly at the Murrieta Police Department at 951-461-6302 or jfroboese@murrieta.org
