The National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is taking place in April. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified texting and cellular telephone use as the fastest growing and most visible distraction as an associated factor in collisions.
Along with law enforcement agencies throughout the state, the UC Santa Cruz Police Department will be participating in enforcement efforts directed at distracted drivers. Officers will focus enforcement efforts on drivers using hand-held cellular telephones, texting, and other distractions during April.
More information about the Awareness Month and enforcement efforts can be located at http://ots.ca.gov/.
Safety Reminders:
• It is illegal to talk on your hand-held cell phone or text while driving.
• Distracted driving is the number one killer for teens in America.
• Don’t be distracted by your musical preferences while driving.
• Program your GPS device before you get out on the road, not while driving.
• Distracted driving can be many things, such as eating and drinking while driving.
• If you hear your cell phone while driving, ignore it. If you must answer it pull over to the side of the road, stop your car in a safe location, and then answer it.
Nader Oweis, Chief of Police
University of California, Santa Cruz Police Department
Report all in-progress crimes by calling 9-1-1. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the UC Santa Cruz Police Department at 831-459-2231. Reports may also be made anonymously by calling 831-459-3TIP (459-3847) or submitted online via http://www2.ucsc.edu/police/crime.html.
This Bulletin is in Compliance with 20 U.S.C. Section 1092 (f), the "Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" ("Clery Act"), and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
