April 1st, 2011, marked the first day of the nation’s first Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Congress designated the month to increase awareness of efforts to target distracted driving.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has announced a statewide initiative to intensify efforts on distracted driving. These efforts will continue over the span of this month. The initiative involves an increased number of patrols targeting those using their cell phones while driving. Approximately 103 CHP Area Commands and over 225 local California police agencies are anticipated to participate.
Drivers caught using their cell phones while driving can face a penalty of between $150 to $200 for first time offenders and $200 to $250 for second time offenders.
In a 2009 study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the institute concluded that a driver can increase his or her risk of an accident by nearly 23 times simply by texting while driving. Orange County Personal Injury Attorney Scott D. Hughes encourages everyone to practice safe driving and to avoid endangering yourself and others.
Scott Hughes is a personal injury lawyer in Orange County, California practicing in State and Federal Court.