Police Looking For Distracted Drivers

Coachella police are cracking down on cellphones and so-called zombie drivers who just won’t put them down when behind the wheel. The department is holding a “zero tolerance distracted driving enforcement” operation this month.

Law enforcement across California including Coachella police are cracking down on cellphone use and texting while driving.

Andrew Vega lives in Cathedral City and said he thinks this is a good campaign.

“People aren’t paying attention, not seeing the lights you know, slamming in the breaks last minute,” said Vega.

And in just one hour of standing at an intersection in Coachella, we saw more than five people driving while doing something distracting.

“Make-up, you know, eating, texting, people just not paying attention in general,” said Vega.

This month we will see more than 225 local agencies along with the California Highway Patrol conducting zero-tolerance enforcements. The statewide campaign focuses on educating the public and saving lives.

Captain Frank Taylor, chief of police in Coachella, said that distracted driving is a dangerous thing.

“They found through studies that distracted driving is at least, or even more prevalent and dangerous than drunk driving, so we’re taking a very strong approach toward it,” said Taylor.

Drivers who use handheld devices are four times more likely to get into crashes that are serious enough to injure themselves. And younger drivers who are under 20 years old have the highest number of “distraction-related” deadly crashes according to law enforcement. But what about hands-free devices?

“It’s legal in the state of California to have a hands-free device, but the message we’re putting out to the public is even with a hands-free device, it’s still causing distractions,” said Taylor.

Vega agrees.

“That is true because you start dwelling off and even though you’re looking forward, you’re not really paying attention because you’re into the conversation. It’s a possibility,” said Vega.

So if you’re driving and need to use your cellphone, it’s best to pull over. Distracted driving could cost you $159 with additional citations costing at least $279.