In the smartphone age, people are more connected than ever before, but also attempting to stay connected when they shouldn’t: behind the wheel. It’s not just cell phones, distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes or mind off the road, or hands off the steering wheel – especially when texting or using your phone.

It is not only dangerous, but illegal, to use your cell phone while driving. In California, you cannot use a cell phone or similar electronic communication device while holding it in your hand. It can only be used in a hands-free manner, such as speaker phone or voice commands, but never while holding it. Any driver under the age of 18 is prohibited from using a cell phone for any reason.

The Goleta Police Department takes distracted driving very seriously. Traffic officers are constantly on the lookout for motorists who violate distracted driving laws, endangering themselves and others with whom they share the roads. “It only takes a moment for lives to be forever changed by a distracted driver,” says Sergeant John Maxwell who supervises the Goleta Police Department’s Traffic Unit. “Cell phone use can be a habit that’s hard to break, but this habit can have life changing consequences.” 

Remember, other serious driver distractions such as eating, grooming, reading, reaching for objects on the floor, changing clothes, or talking with passengers, are just as dangerous. Always focus on the road ahead, and together we can eliminate the unnecessary dangers of distracted driving.