Sgt. Kasim Bikul of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Perris Station is reminding drivers that April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a good time to pay extra attention to the road and avoid texting as officers beef up enforcement.
During this campaign to fight the dangers of distracted driving, motorists are asked to give the phone a break and focus on the road.
"A driver's primary focus should be on the road, not their cellphone," Bikul said in a recent press release from the department. "That text message, phone call, email, video or social media post is not worth the risk put to yourself and other motorists."
Throughout the month, the department will have additional officers on patrol looking for distracted drivers who are in violation of the state's hands-free cellphone law, the release said.
In a 2020 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey cited in the release, over 75% of participants listed "distracted driving because of texting" as their biggest safety concern. The department recommends that anyone who needs to use their phone while driving take the precaution of pulling over and parking at a safe spot.
The law is more stringent for those under the age of 18, who are not allowed to use even a hands-free phone while driving, the release said. Conversely, drivers over 18 years of age can talk on a hands-free device.