Eureka police cite 10 drivers in distracted-driving crackdown
Ten drivers were cited in Eureka’s April phone-enforcement sweep, a small number that still points to a bigger risk on local roads.
Ten citations in one April enforcement sweep may sound modest, but Eureka police say each stop was a reminder that hands-on phone use behind the wheel can put drivers, cyclists and pedestrians in danger on streets like US 101 and the city’s busier corridors.
The Eureka Police Department said its April distracted-driving operation targeted drivers suspected of violating California’s hands-free cell phone law. The campaign was funded by a California Office of Traffic Safety grant through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and officers issued 10 citations during the month-long effort.
Under California law, drivers may not hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle, including for talking, texting or using an app. The department said a second violation within 36 months of a prior conviction adds a point to a driver’s record. EPD Admin Patrol Sgt. Omey put the department’s message plainly: “A driver’s focus should be on the road, not their phone.”
The enforcement campaign lands in a county where the main north-south route, US 101, cuts through Eureka and Fortuna and carries steady traffic through intersections where distraction can have immediate consequences. California Office of Traffic Safety guidance says distracted driving is anything that takes a driver’s eyes or mind off the road, or hands off the steering wheel, and says phone-related distraction triples crash risk. OTS says the effort is aimed especially at drivers ages 16 to 24, a group traffic-safety officials say remains heavily exposed to phone-related habits behind the wheel.
The state’s safety data shows why local agencies keep returning to the issue. In 2022, 148 people were killed in California crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the Office of Traffic Safety. The California Highway Patrol says a first citation for texting or handheld cell phone use carries a minimum fine of $162, and that drivers may use a phone only in hands-free mode or for emergency calls to law enforcement, a medical provider, the fire department or other emergency services.
For Eureka police, the April crackdown was less about a one-time ticket count than a public reminder that routine commutes can turn dangerous in a second. The department’s decision to publicize the 10 citations signals it is still watching for visible violations and still treating phone use behind the wheel as a live enforcement priority.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
