YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE. IT’S NOT WORTH IT!
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Distracted driving is a serious safety concern for all drivers throughout
California, especially teen drivers. Eighty percent of vehicle crashes involve some kind of driver
distraction. Talking on the cell phone or texting is the main source of driver distraction. The
California Highway Patrol (CHP) is urging teenage drivers to stop texting, put away cell phones,
and focus on driving. In an effort save lives, CHP along with Impact Teen Drivers will be
conducting a year-long teen distracted driving traffic safety campaign through September 2013.
“The California Office of Traffic Safety grant is an exciting opportunity for Impact Teen Drivers
and the CHP to continue to be at the forefront of decreasing the number of collisions and deaths
associated with distracted teen drivers,” said Kelly Browning, Executive Director of Impact Teen
Drivers. “It will take a strong combination of education and enforcement to have a fundamental
and sustained behavior shift toward driving distraction free.”
California drivers age 20 years or older were involved in nearly 22,000 collisions from
October 1, 2009 - September 30, 2010, in which a distraction was documented as a factor in the
cause of the crash. As new drivers, teens are at an even greater risk of being involved in
collisions due to distracted driving because of the peer pressures to stay immediately connected
to their friends via text and cell phone. Teenage distracted driving is one of the leading
contributors to collisions and near collisions.
“The CHP is urging teen drivers to focus on driving. Eliminate the urge to text or call by putting
away the distractions,” said Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Through education, enforcement, and
the continued partnership between the CHP and Impact Teen Drivers, we can change this
dangerous behavior.”
The 12-month, grant-funded Teen Distracted Drivers Education and Enforcement II campaign
consists of an education component, as well as distracted driver enforcement operations to be
conducted throughout the state.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety
through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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