As part of this month’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign, the Brentwood Police Department will exhibit zero tolerance to those texting or operating hand-held cell phones while driving.

Drivers who break the law and place themselves and others in danger will be cited. The current minimum fine is $170; subsequent fines are at least $279.

More than 225 local agencies and 103 California Highway Patrol area commands will conduct the upcoming zero-tolerance enforcements.

The Brentwood Police Department will conduct directed enforcement on Thursdays, April 14 and 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. “The Brentwood Police Department takes the issue of distracted driving very seriously,” said Sgt. Walter O’Grodnick, “and we are putting officers on the road to enforce zero tolerance.”

Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Those under 20, due to their lack of driving experience, have the highest proportion of fatal distraction-related crashes. Studies show that texting while driving can delay a driver’s reaction time just as severely as a blood alcohol content of a legally drunk driver.

There is no difference in the risks between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations, both of which can result in “inattention blindness,” which occurs when the brain isn’t seeing what is clearly visible because the driver’s focus is on the phone conversation and not on the road.

For more information, call 925-809-7752 or e-mail wogrodnick@ci.brentwood.ca.us.