Opinion: Distracted drivers should put down cell phones

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, both nationally and here in Santa Clara County. Distracted driving is a topic I’ve been focused on since cell phones first became a part of our lives.

Distracted driving is anything that takes our eyes, hands or mind away from the task of driving a car. But it’s not surprising that mobile devices remain the biggest distraction for drivers, whether it’s talking, texting, emailing, taking pictures or using an app.

In 2006, as a state Senator, I authored what became California’s first law — and one of the first in the country — requiring that cell phones be used “hands free” while drivers are behind the wheel. In 2008, I introduced a follow-up bill to prohibit texting while driving. I also authored the bill that prohibited drivers under the age of 18 from using any electronic device while driving, even hands-free.

A study conducted by the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at the University of California-Berkeley found that there were 75,000 to 100,000 fewer collisions each year in California as a result — the largest year-to-year drop in collisions in state history. Traffic deaths declined by more than 20% — 700 fewer fatalities in the first year the hands-free law was on the books.

That means that every day in California, a couple of folks sit down for dinner with their loved ones who otherwise wouldn’t have made it home safely.

While progress has been made, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent report found that in 2021 there was actually a 12% increase in fatalities where at least one driver was distracted, resulting in 3,522 deaths nationwide. In Santa Clara County alone in 2021, there were more than 200 car crashes that involved distracted driving, and 13 people were seriously injured or killed.

Most California drivers know driving while holding a cellphone – or even talking on one or looking at a phone screen while driving – is dangerous behavior. But too many also think it’s somebody else who’s the problem.

Current state laws prohibit drivers from using a cell phone or mobile device while holding it in their hand, even when stopped at a red light. Mobile devices can only be used in a hands-free manner, such as speaker phone or voice commands, but even that’s distracting. And remember, drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving (except emergency calls), even hands free.

Commonsense “hands-free” laws and enforcement are necessary. But the best way to make our roads safer is for every single one of us to make a commitment to being part of the solution. This is an area where we could save so many more lives if we could just be thoughtful and attentive and follow the law.

This year, our county’s Emergency Medical Services Agency is working to increase awareness about distracted driving by inviting folks to pledge to drive distraction-free for their own safety as well as the safety of others. To take the pledge, visit www.justdrivescc.org.

You may save your own life, or that of a loved one or neighbor. And that’s worth paying attention to.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian represents the Fifth District, which includes Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Stanford, portions of San Jose and unincorporated communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Sign up for Simitian’s monthly newsletter at district5.sccgov.org/newsletter.