This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The LAPD and Highway Patrol will be on high alert through all of April to catch drivers texting behind the wheel, as it is apparently something called "Distracted Driving Awareness Month." On April 3rd, 8th, 17th, and 22nd, officers will be on "special high visibility enforcement operations" a.k.a. "see who can give out the most tickets" day. Watch out!
First-time citations will cost drivers $161, with subsequent citations costing at least $281 according to the LAPD Blog. With fines so heavy, the LAPD and CHP will be force drivers to ponder the existential question of is it really all worth it?
On a more serious note, the LAPD does note that distracted driving does come with its consequences:
Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. In addition, studies show that texting while driving can delay a driver's reaction time just as severely as having a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver. According to research, sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. Even a three second glance at freeway speeds means a driver has traveled the distance of a football field. Research shows that 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 drivers' focus is on the phone conversation and not on the road. When over one third of your brain's functioning that should be on your driving moves over to cell phone talking, you can become a cell phone "zombie."
