CHP: Law Enforcement Agencies in the Pass to Crack Down on 'Zombie Drivers'

Drivers who spend more time paying attention to their cell phones than driving are so dangerous the California Highway Patrol is making efforts to portray them as "zombies."

According to the CHP, law enforcement agencies statewide - including those patrolling the San Gorgonio Pass - will be cracking down in April, which is designated National Distracted Driving Month.

"Drivers need to ask themselves, 'Is that phone call or text message worth my life or the lives of those around me?'" CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a news release. "The answer is simple, it's not worth it. Every distraction affects a driver's reaction time, and things can change without notice."

Agencies are taking a zero tolerance policy over cell phone use as part of the campaign, issuing tickets to drivers caught texting or talking on their phones while driving.

A first-time ticket for texting or talking while driving is a minimum of $159. Subsequent citations will start at $279 per violation.

During the campaign's first year, in 2011, more than 52,000 citations were issued, four times the monthly average statewide.

More than 200 local law enforcement agencies and 103 CHP offices will be participating in the campaign, which will include educational components as well as enforcement.

"Parents and other adults need to set a positive example," said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the Office of Traffic Safety, in the release. "Start by never calling or texting anyone, especially your kids, when there’s a possibility they might be driving. Then let that same action follow you when you are the driver."

An Office of Traffic Safety survey of 1,800 drivers 18 and older last year identified talking and texting as the biggest distraction on the road. Talking on a cell phone - either with a hand set or hands free - was named the top distraction by 56 percent of respondents.

According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teen drivers are the most likely to be involved in a fatal crash in cases where distractions are involved.

"Teens, even more than adults, are accustomed to using technology to have instant access to their friends. It's not only technology – teens are frequently distracted by loud music, passengers, and other everyday tasks that, when done behind the wheel, become lethal," said Dr. Kelly Browning, executive director of the nonprofit group Impact Teen Drivers. "These everyday distractions, coupled with inexperience, often have deadly consequences."

Officials hope that the campaign helps voluntarily reduce the use of cell phones while driving, thereby reducing the amount of actual citations given out.

"Law enforcement sees firsthand the devastation caused by distracted driving and the needless pain associated with the senseless collisions that follow," said CHP Commissioner Farrow. "I am grateful that so many of the state's law enforcement agencies are joining us in this important traffic safety endeavor again this year."