Distracted Driving: Zero Tolerance Enforcement Tomorrow April 16th.

Sheriff's Deputies will be on high alert this month, looking for drivers using their cell phones to text or talk without a headset. Deputies will work with CHP Officers to conduct a zero tolerance enforcement on April 16th. 

April marks the third annual "National Distracted Driving Awareness” month. The fine for a first offense of texting or using a hand-held cell phone while driving is $159 plus court fees, with subsequent violations being much higher.

Distracted driving is a serious traffic safety concern that puts everyone on the road at risk. Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Texting while driving can delay a driver’s reaction time just as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says there is no difference in the risks between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations, both of which can result in “inattention blindness” which occurs when the brain isn’t seeing what is clearly visible because the driver's focus is on the phone conversation and not on the road. 

Focus on the task of driving when you are behind the wheel. Remember, "One Text or Call Could Wreck It All." “It’s Not Worth It!”

To watch a public safety message on distracted driving, visit http://goo.gl/zSJXJ