By Lookout Staff

April 1, 2025 -- Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. That's the message Santa Monica police want to drive home during Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

During April, SMPD will be "actively looking for drivers" who are in violation of the state’s hands-free cell phone law, the Police Department announced Tuesday.

"Whether checking a phone, eating or adjusting the radio, distractions can have devastating consequences," officials wrote in a blog post Tuesday.

"Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an important reminder that even a moment of inattention or a quick glance at the phone can lead to serious consequences.

"Distracted driving is not only risky; it is deadly," officials said.

The 2024 California Statewide Public Opinion Survey found that nearly 74 percent of drivers surveyed said that distracted driving, because of texting, was their biggest safety concern, police officials noted.

The latest data available show that distracted driving killed 148 people in traffic crashes in California in 2022, a number that is "likely underreported because law enforcement officers may not always be able to tell that distraction was a factor in a crash."

Under California law, it is illegal for drivers to "hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle, even when stopped at a red light.

"This includes talking, texting or using an app," officials said.

Violating the hands free law is punishable by a fine, and a second violation within 36 months of a prior conviction "will result in a point being added to a driver’s record."

Police advise drivers to follow the following steps to stay focused behind the wheel:

• Put your phone away: Silence notifications and store your phone where you can’t reach it while driving.
  
  
• Plan ahead: Set your GPS, adjust mirrors and finish any tasks before you start driving.
  
  
• Keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road: Avoid eating, grooming or adjusting controls while driving.
  
  
• Be a role model: Show your passengers, especially young drivers, that focused driving is the norm.
  
  
• Speak up: If you’re a passenger and see the driver distracted, kindly remind them to stay focused.
  
  
• Pull over if necessary: If something urgent comes up, stop in a safe place before responding.

Funding for distracted driving enforcement is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.