ADD Grant Receives Twelfth Renewal
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has announced that it has received the twelfth renewal of the Adult Distracted Drivers or ADD grant. Funding for the program comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which operates under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Distracted Driving Kills
The purpose of the ADD grant is to combat the issue of distracted driving, which results in thousands of instances of California motorists being seriously injured or killed in vehicle collisions every year. The grant will go toward additional enforcement efforts as well as educational programs throughout California.
Distracted Driving is Preventable
The CHP Commissioner pointed out that the very serious issue of distracted driving on our state’s roads is entirely preventable. One of the goals of the ADD grant will be to encourage drivers to make the conscious decision to eliminate distractions. If all drivers made that pledge and put it into action, the number of annual car accidents that take place on California’s roads would plummet.
Driver Distraction is a Major Cause of Accidents
The odds of getting into a car crash are exponentially increased for drivers who are distracted. Statistics from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, which is maintained by the CHP, indicate that there were close to 19,000 crashes involving driver inattention in 2019.
Watch the YouTube video. Below is a video posted by the OTS on the dangers of distractions behind the wheel.
Mobile Phones are the Biggest Driver Distraction
The most prevalent and pervasive distraction for California drivers is the mobile phone. There were more than 9,350 distracted driving accidents that caused injuries or fatalities in 2019, and of those, close to ten percent identified a mobile phone as the source of driver distraction.
It is illegal in California to use a handheld mobile phone while driving, however, anyone who travels by car can look around and plainly see that the practice still occurs regularly. Texting, dialing, and perusing the internet are all very dangerous activities to perform while operating a vehicle.
It should be noted that California law prohibits drivers who are younger than 18 years of age from using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle for any reason, and that includes the prohibition of hands-free devices.
ADD Grant – Time Frame and Project Scope
The campaigns that will be funded by the ADD grant will run through the end of September 2022. The monies will be used to help the CHP’s complete at least 400 safety presentations throughout the state. There will also be, at minimum, 80 enhanced law enforcement efforts focused on distracted driving during the time period that the grant is active.
Reducing or eliminating instances of driver distraction will go a long way toward making California roads safer. Not paying attention jeopardizes the driver’s safety as well as that of passengers and everyone else on the road.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Sacramento
Hello, and thank you for visiting our legal blog. I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. Distracted driving is one example of the type of negligence that can lead to a serious car crash. Injuries and fatalities occur on the highways of Northern California every day due to carelessness and recklessness. If you have suffered harm because another motorist was distracted or otherwise acting unsafely, our skilled injury attorneys are here to provide free and friendly advice. Call us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. If appropriate, we can set up a consultation to go over the details of your potential case, with no obligation.
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Photo: by Marlon Lara via Unsplash
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