April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The national campaign warns drivers of the dangers of texting and driving.
For the entire month of April, CHP officers are going to increase distracted driving patrol.
Distracted driving is not just texting and driving. It covers anywhere form cell phone to other distractions like peer pressure with other people in the car, eating, doing your makeup. Anything taking your eyes away from the road.
Officer Axel Reyes with the California Highway Patrol set up a demo at the Save Mart Center parking lot to demonstrate how accidents can happen in a split second.
Officer Reyes says there are three main types of distracted driving:
Visual: taking your eyes off the road;
Manual: taking your hands off the wheel; and
Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving.
Distracted driving activities include things like using a cell phone, texting, and eating. Using in-vehicle technologies (such as navigation systems) can also be sources of distraction. While any of these distractions can endanger the driver and others, texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distraction.
At 55 mph, the average text takes your eyes off the road long enough to cover a football field.
The fine if you're caught texting and driving is $150.
