Fresno police cite 113 drivers in hands-free cellphone crackdown
Fresno police wrote 113 citations in a hands-free cellphone sweep, part of a run of recent crackdowns that have repeatedly topped 100 stops. Officers say the problem is still drivers holding phones, texting and tapping apps.
Fresno police cited 113 drivers during a distracted-driving operation that targeted motorists suspected of violating California’s hands-free cellphone law. The enforcement effort, funded by a California Office of Traffic Safety grant administered through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was aimed at cutting the kind of driver behavior that turns a quick call or text into a crash risk.
Under California law, drivers may not hold a cellphone or other electronic communications device while driving, including for calls, texting and app use. A handheld cellphone violation can bring a fine, and a second conviction for the same offense within 36 months adds a point to the driver’s record. Police said drivers who need to make a call or program directions should pull over in a safe parking location first, and should silence phones or put them out of reach before starting a trip.
The Fresno Police Department carried out the operation on June 5, after announcing it three days earlier. It was the latest in a string of local distracted-driving crackdowns that have produced 112, 114, 124, 135 and 145 citations in separate operations reported locally, showing that officers keep finding the same behavior on Fresno streets. The department’s latest sweep adds to a pattern that suggests cellphone enforcement remains an active part of traffic safety work in Fresno County.
State and federal traffic-safety officials say the stakes are high. The California Office of Traffic Safety says 148 people were killed in California in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2022. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data show 3,308 deaths nationwide that year in crashes involving distracted drivers. NHTSA says texting is especially dangerous because it combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction, taking a driver’s eyes, hands and attention off the road at the same time.
California traffic-safety campaigns also stress that drivers under 18 are prohibited from using a cellphone for any reason while driving. In Fresno, the message from the latest crackdown was simple: keep the phone down, keep the car moving safely, and avoid adding another name to the city’s crash statistics.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
