The following is a news release from the Novato Police Department:
The Novato Police Department participated in the Office of Traffic Safety’s (OTS) Distracted Driver awareness campaign during the month of April.
The Department took a zero tolerance approach during this campaign and issued a total of 286 citations related to Distracted Driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which estimates that 3,328 people were killed and an estimated 421,000 were injured in distraction-related crashes in 2012. Additional statistics show that 10% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted. Drivers in their 20s make up 27% percent of the distracted drivers in fatal crashes.
Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55mph, that's enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.
The Novato Police Department is dedicated to the safety of our motoring public and our community as a whole. The Novato Police Department is encouraging the public to visit the official US Government web site “Distraction.gov” and take the pledge to end distracted driving. The fight to end distracted driving starts with you. Make the commitment to drive phone-free today.
- Protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving.
- Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted.
- Encourage my friends and family to drive phone-free.
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