Crime & Safety
Albany Police Crackdown on Texting, Using Hand-held Phones While Driving
Albany police today are focusing on enforcing the laws against texting and using hand-held phones while driving, the police department said. It is part of a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries from distracted driving.
"Distracted driving is the cause of thousands of crashes every day and talking or texting while driving is never worth a collision, injury or death," the department said in a news release issued today.
A similar crackdown was conducted by Albany police on Sept. 20.
"With the increase in the prevalence of smartphones and other hand-held devices, more and more drivers engage in distracted driving," the release said. "In 2011 alone, 3,331 people were killed in accidents involving inattentive drivers."
Funding for the enforcement comes from a $49,160 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for "a year-long program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways through special enforcement and public awareness efforts," the department said. The funds are made available to OTS by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The police department urged drivers to adopt these precautions:
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• turn off, or silence, your phone
• ask a passenger to text or call for you
• pull over & park safely if you absolutely must make a call or text
Those who'd like more information may contact Albany Police Sgt. Chris Willis at 510-525-7300 or cwillis@albanyca.org.
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