Elk Grove PD launches distracted driving crackdown

Elk Grove police are stepping up traffic enforcement for distracted driving through April, with officers looking especially for drivers holding phones behind the wheel. (patch.com) The campaign runs citywide for the month and adds patrols focused on handheld phone use, texting and other attention-sapping behavior while driving, according to the department announcement reported by Patch. (patch.com) California law already bars drivers from holding and operating a phone or other electronic device while driving unless it is used hands-free, and drivers under 18 cannot use a phone at all except for emergencies. (ots.ca.gov; california.public.law) State officials say distracted driving is broader than texting: it includes anything that takes a driver’s eyes, hands or mind off the road, from scrolling apps to eating, grooming or reaching for objects in the car. (ots.ca.gov; ots.ca.gov) The enforcement push lands during Distracted Driving Awareness Month, when California agencies routinely pair citations with public education aimed at getting drivers to put phones away before a trip starts. (ots.ca.gov; chp.ca.gov) The state’s Office of Traffic Safety reported 148 people were killed in California in 2022 in crashes involving a distracted driver. A 2025 state survey found 71.4% of Californians named texting-related distracted driving as a top road-safety concern. (ots.ca.gov) The California Highway Patrol said it issued more than 111,700 distracted-driving citations in 2025, nearly 20% more than in 2024. CHP also said distracted driving was reported in more than 3,400 crashes statewide between 2020 and 2025, injuring more than 1,600 people. (chp.ca.gov) For drivers in Elk Grove, the practical change is simple: more officers watching for a phone in your hand, and more stops tied to a law California says is meant to keep a driver’s full attention on the road. (patch.com; ots.ca.gov)