Sheriff's deputies will ticket drivers holding phones in enforcement operation Thursday
The Orange County Sheriff's Department will run an enforcement operation Thursday, Nov. 5, aimed at drivers who hold a phone while behind the wheel, according to a release titled Orange County Sheriff's Department Focuses on the Dangers of Distracted Driving. The department polices Mission Viejo under contract as Mission Viejo Police Services.
The operation targets drivers suspected of violating California's hands-free cell phone law. Drivers may not hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle, which covers talking, texting or using an app.
What the penalty is
Holding a phone while driving is punishable by a fine. A second violation within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense adds a point to the driver's record, the release says.
What the department asks
"A driver's focus should be on the road, not their phone," a sergeant said in the release. "That text, phone call, email or social media post is not worth the risk to yourself and other people on the road."
The department asks drivers who have an important call or need directions to pull over to a safe parking spot. It also advises silencing the phone or putting it out of reach before driving.
The release says a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pays for the program.
Sources: Orange County Sheriff’s Department Focuses on the Dangers of Distracted Driving.
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