By Lookout Staff

March 3, 2026 -- Santa Monica police are cracking down this month on drivers who violate the hands-free cell phone law, a leading cause of distracted driving that can result in deaths and serious injuries.

Under current law, drivers are not allowed to hold a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle, including talking, texting, or using an app.

"A driver’s focus should be on the road, not their phone," police officials said. "That text, phone call, email or social media post is not worth the risk to yourself and other people on the road."

Distracted driving commonly caused by talking or texting on cell phones, eating and drinking, talking to passengers or manipulating audio and navigation systems resulted in 3,275 fatalities nationwide, 158 of them in California, in 2023, the latest data available.

Twenty of the fatalities took place in Los Angeles County, followed by Riverside County with 18 and San Bernardino County with 14, according to the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center.

Los Angeles County also led the State in serious injuries caused by distracted drivers with 151 in 2023, followed by San Diego County with 45 and Riverside County with 41.

The National Center for Statistics and Analysis found that 2.1 percent of all motorists talk on cell phones, with the percentage rising to 2.7 for those ages 16 to 24.

The three most prominent behaviors by motorists using electronic devices are “holding phones to their ears”, “speaking with visible headsets on” and “visibly manipulating handheld devices”.

Using a handheld cell phone while driving in California is punishable by a fine, police officials noted.

Violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.

"If you have an important phone call or need to program directions, pull over to a safe parking spot," police officials said. "Before driving, either silence your phone or put it somewhere you can’t reach."

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "high-visibility enforcement efforts for distracted driving laws can be effective in reducing cell phone use while driving."

Funding for this month's operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.