LPD wants you to focus on road

The Lakeport Police Department is encouraging drivers to put down their mobile devices and concentrate on the road. Throughout the month of April Lakeport officers will be focusing on educating the public on the dangers of distracted driving and enforcing distracting driving law.

Current California laws make it illegal for drivers to hold a phone or other electronic device while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Drivers who are under the age of 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason, including hands-free.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019 distracted driving killed 3,142 people. This is a 10 percent increase from 2018.

To help us and our allied agencies across the state in our collective mission of reducing the

number of distracted driving-related collision deaths, the Lakeport Police Department is asking the community to take action against distracted driving.

If you need to send a text you should wait until you can pull over at a safe location and park. Don’t scroll through any smart phone apps while driving.

If you have any passengers in your vehicle you should designate one of them as your “texter.” Remind your friends and family when they are in the driver’s seat that driving is the only thing they should be focused on.

If your driver is texting or otherwise distracted, tell them to stop and focus on driving. Ask your friends to join you in pledging not to drive distracted.