You have to pay attention to a lot of things when you're behind the wheel. But CHP wants you to focus on only one thing, driving.
For the most part, CHP has been focusing on cellphones. "We know that sending a text message you can travel over 300 feet without having your eyes on the road."
But now, there's a host of new things officers are looking out for.
"People reading, eating is a big thing. We've caught people shaving, men shaving their face, women shaving their legs, no joke."
Officer Radke says it all falls under the umbrella of "distracted driving." if you're not paying attention to the road, your chances of causing an accident go way up. "A lot of times these people look like drunk drivers because they're weaving back and forth."
Some drivers around Fresno are suspicious.
"I never heard of someone getting in an accident for drinking a soda."
"They're invading too much of our privacy."
"It just gives them more probable cause to pull people over for whatever they want."
Even if you're driving under the speed limit, you can still get a ticket. And the fine can be huge.
"If you're traveling 45 mph and you're reading a newspaper and your knee is used to steer the car or to drive, the safe speed for that is zero. So if you're doing 45-50 mph, the ticket for that is 45-50 mph over the speed limit."
According to officer Radke that means your ticket can be hundreds of dollars. It could also end up being a point on your driving record. CHP says the only way to avoid getting pulled over is to pull yourself over. Find a safe location and come to a complete stop. Do what you have to do before getting back on the road.
CHP says using a GPS device is still legal as long as it's mounted properly and is voice-activated.
TXT 24
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