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Crime & Safety

Police Cracking Down on Distracted Drivers

Fountain Valley Police Department joins inaugural statewide event targeting cell phone users.

In an effort to keep the city’s streets safe, the Fountain Valley Police Department will be joining CHP and 225 local agencies in cracking down on cell phone usage during vehicle operation as part of the state's first Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Starting today, FVPD will be enforcing a zero tolerance campaign for cell phone use and texting while behind the wheel. Distracted driving has been a cause for many traffic collisions in Fountain Valley, said patrol and watch commander Lt. Ken Hounsley.

Although the rates of collisions have remained steady, the numbers of distracted drivers causing the accidents have risen significantly, Hounsley said. The number of vehicle accidents can definitely be reduced if motorists were more aware of their actions, starting with reducing the amount of talk time or texting while driving, he added.

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Hand-held cell phone usage has been banned since July 2008. Yet, drivers are still seen constantly talking or texting away on the streets. But studies have shown that using a hands-free device is not any safer than using a hand-held device while driving since in both cases, the brain’s attention is divided between the conversation and vehicle operation.

Additional studies have also known that distracted drivers have a delayed reaction time equivalent to that of drunk drivers. Therefore, officials are asking motorists to hold their calls and phone-related activities until after the ride.

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“We just want drivers to use some common sense when they’re behind the wheel and focus on driving,” Office of Traffic Safety Director Christopher J. Murphy said in a statement. “Think about the vast majority of calls and texts you send or receive everyday.  Were any really worth a $159 ticket – or worse, a crash, injury or death?  It’s just not worth it.”

Officials offer their suggestions on how to minimize distractions in a vehicle:

  • Turn your phone off or put it out of reach before starting the car.
  • Alert callers that you are unable to take calls when driving by changing your voicemail message. 
  • Make it a point not to call or text anyone who may be driving, such as during the commute to and from work or school, especially parents calling teen drivers.
  • If you do need to make an important call or respond to a text message, pull over to a safe place to do so.
  • If going cold turkey is too much of a stretch and you just cannot turn your phone off, consider using one of the available mobile phone apps that holds calls and incoming texts.

Although April has been designated to crack down on cell phone use, FVPD will continue to focus on targeting unsafe drivers at all times, Hounsley said. Violators can expect to pay a minimum of $159 on the first offense and $279 for subsequent tickets.

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