UCPD: Distraction-Free Driving Starts With You

From the City of Union City:

The Union City Police Department recently participated in the April 2013 Distracted Driving Awareness campaign. The campaign was sponsored by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the California Highway Patrol. 

The Union City Police Department committed to this campaign because distracted driving is a serious traffic safety concern that puts everyone on the road at risk. In recent years, hundreds have been killed and thousands seriously injured in California as a result of collisions that involved at least one driver who was distracted. Nationally, an estimated 3,331 died in 2011. As a result, law enforcement across the state, including the Union City Police Department, are increasingly cracking down on cell phone use and texting.

Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes resulting in serious injuries. Inexperienced drivers, under 20 years old, have the highest proportion of distraction related fatal crashes. In addition, studies show that texting while driving can delay a driver’s reaction time as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver.

In the month of April, the Union City Police Department issued 506 citations for solely distracted driving violations. These statistics not only recognize the Union City Police Department’s dedication to this campaign, but also the large number of drivers who place themselves and others in danger through distracted driving.

To avoid a distracted driving citation, the Union City Police Department offers drivers the following tips:

• Turn off you phone and/or put it out of reach while driving
• Include in you outgoing message that you can’t answer while you are driving
• Don’t call or text anyone at a time you think they may be driving

The current minimum ticket cost for distracted driving is $159.00, with subsequent tickets costing at least $279.00.

For more information: http://www.distraction.gov/