Elk Grove Police Crack Down On Distracted Drivers

Elk Grove police are spending a month looking for drivers with phones in their hands, not on the wheel. (patch.com) The enforcement push targets handheld phone use, texting and other unsafe driving, with extra patrols planned on roads the department identifies as high-crash corridors. Patch reported the effort is running for a month. (patch.com) In California, adult drivers may use a phone only in hands-free mode when necessary, and the Department of Motor Vehicles says using a handheld cell phone while driving is illegal. The DMV also lists looking at a phone as a common driving distraction. (dmv.ca.gov) A ticket can cost more than the base fine. The California Department of Motor Vehicles says traffic convictions tied to unsafe driving can add negligent-operator points to a license, and Patch said distracted-driving offenses can bring fines and possible points. (dmv.ca.gov, patch.com) State traffic-safety officials say the problem remains large. The California Office of Traffic Safety says 148 people were killed in 2022 in crashes involving a distracted driver, and mobile devices remain the biggest distraction. (ots.ca.gov) The issue also ranks high with drivers themselves. In a 2025 Office of Traffic Safety survey, 71.4% of Californians said distracted driving because of texting was one of their top traffic-safety concerns. (ots.ca.gov) The state’s traffic-safety office says grant-funded countermeasures include dedicated enforcement of California’s hands-free cell phone law. Its 2025-2027 strategy and 2024-2026 highway safety plans keep distracted driving in the state’s core road-safety agenda. (ots.ca.gov, ots.ca.gov) For Elk Grove drivers, the rule during this campaign is the same as before it started: if a phone is in your hand, you are giving officers a reason to stop you. (dmv.ca.gov, patch.com)