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April Is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
As the weather heats up, so does travel and people hitting the roads.
Law enforcement and public safety agencies across Southern California are urging drivers to be aware.
“Distracted driving doesn’t just, you know, cause a little fender bender here and there but distracted driving kills, and you have to really remember the importance of that.” says Tamara Wadkins, the Public Information Officer for the Palm Springs Police Department.
The Palm Springs Police Department is ramping up their patrol, specifically for the month of April, honoring Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
The office of Traffic Safety is providing the station with grant funding to better instill the message in drivers.
“So that we can put more eyes on the road especially during high traffic hours of the day, and really just drive home the importance of putting down the cell phone, putting down anything else that could distract you.” Wadkins says.
Teaming up with law enforcement is none other than the Auto Club of Southern California, otherwise known as Triple A.
“There are too many people who still think it’s okay to get behind the wheel and then text or program their GPS or send a social media update, when in reality, the consequences of driving distracted could be the same as driving after consuming alcohol.” says Doug Shupe, the spokesperson for Triple A.
Distracted driving doesn’t just mean spending time on your phone while behind the wheel.
“So many distractions out there, you have people that are grooming themselves, you know, doing their hair or makeup on the way to work.” says Shupe.
While accidents happen and drivers tend to rush and multi-task while driving, there are ways drivers can prevent distracted driving.
“Use the driving focus feature on your phone which limits the calls and texts that come in while your vehicle is in motion. If you think you’re going to be tempted to use your phone, put it out of reach where you can’t get to it.”
Or drivers can better equip their vehicles.
“If your car is not equipped with Bluetooth or a dash mount, I mean it’s a pretty inexpensive way to stay safe.” Wadkins says.
On Thursday, Triple A is hosting a distracted driving event at the Palm Springs City Hall, Palm Springs Police Officers as well as distracted driving survivors will speak on the issue.
The event starts at 10:30 and is open to the public.
By: Tiani Jadulang
April 3, 2023
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