The OTS Educates Teenagers on Dangers of Distracted Driving

The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) hosted a distracted
driving education event April 12 at Sacramento’s Inderkum High School as
part of a larger effort to inform the public on the dangers of
distracted driving.

Hundreds of high school students had the opportunity to meet with
traffic safety experts to learn about how they can stay safe behind the
wheel and avoid distractions. They even put those distractions to the
test, navigating courses while eating an ice cream cone or wearing
simulator goggles to experience first-hand how distractions like cell
phones affect your ability to drive safely.

During the event, the OTS announced a statewide video and billboard
contest for high school students to encourage their peers to not drive
distracted. The contest runs through May 17 with cash prizes for each
category. Details on rules and how to enter can be found at
gosafelyca.org.

“Teenagers have the least amount of driving experience and driver
distractions are the most common cause of crashes involving teens,” OTS
Director Rhonda Craft said. “While drivers of all ages are guilty of
being distracted in the car, it is crucial that our youngest drivers
understand the risks and are motivated to avoid picking up bad habits
behind the wheel.”

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the OTS is
joining law enforcement and other traffic safety partners to highlight
the importance of traveling free of distractions, whether in a car, on a
bike or on foot. The OTS will be running a distracted driving campaign
on TV and digital platforms throughout the month of April as part of our
new initiative, “Go Safely, California,” which serves as an educational
resource on safer ways for Californians to arrive at their destination
safely.

Law enforcement is conducting statewide enforcement efforts to
discourage distracted driving by targeting drivers who are violating
California’s cell phone law, which prohibits drivers from holding a
phone or other electronic communications device. Drivers under 18 are
not allowed to use a cell phone at all while operating a vehicle,
including handsfree.

According to a 2018 public opinion survey conducted by the OTS and
University of California, Berkeley, nearly half of all drivers surveyed
said distracted driving because of texting or talking is their biggest
safety concern on roads.

“Clearly, all drivers – teens and adults – are aware of the risks when
they use their phones but many continue to do so,” Director Craft said.
“Our goal is to get people to change behaviors that jeopardize the
safety of everyone on the road.”

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