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Police Begin 2-Day Zero-Tolerance Distracted Driving Campaign

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Photo by sergeant killjoy via Flickr

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They warned you on Twitter and it starts today. The California Highway Patrol, along with other agencies across Los Angeles County, today are taking a zero-tolerance approach to the state's hands-free mobile laws. You cannot text while driving (basically) or hold a phone to your ear. “These two days of targeted enforcement are intended to educate through visual presence and enforcement of the laws,” said CHP Chief Steve Beeuwsaert.. “The message is simple: No call, text or any other distraction is worth someone losing their life. Pay attention and drive safely.”

State records shows that inattention played a role in some 30,000 collisions in California in 2008. More than 1,000 of those cases involved a driver who admitted a cell phone was being used at the time.

Distracted driving led to 5,500 deaths and 448,000 injuries on U.S. roadways in 2009.

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