Oakdale Police will take part in a special effort to crack down on distracted drivers on Friday, April 13.

Drivers are using their cell phones less often while driving, 10 years after “hands-free” became the law, but distracted driving remains a serious safety challenge in California. Observing April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the first week in April as California Teen Safe Driving Week, safety advocates will focus on education and enforcement efforts statewide.

The Oakdale Police Department will join law enforcement throughout the state to step up enforcement along with awareness efforts by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to discourage distracted driving. Officers will have a special emphasis this month on enforcing all cell phone and distracted driving laws. The goal is to increase voluntary compliance by drivers, but sometimes citations are necessary for motorists to better understand the importance of driving distraction.

The California Department of Transportation will put distracted driving messages on the changeable message signs on freeways throughout April as well.

Cell phone use can be habit-forming. If you’re struggling to not text and drive, police recommend that you put the cell phone in the trunk or back seat of your vehicle until you arrive at your final destination.

The Oakdale Police Department is deploying extra traffic officers with grant-funded resources on Friday, April 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in city locations with higher numbers of traffic collisions. Violators will be stopped and cited with fines set at $162 for first time offenders. This campaign is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.