Distracted Driver Coverage on Central Coast, Sept. 3

During the month of August, the Lincoln City Police Department utilized traffic safety grant funds to put extra patrol officers on duty specifically for the enhanced enforcement of Distracted Driving laws. Two enhanced enforcement operations were conducted resulting in 11 citations being issued for distracted driving along with 2 citations for driving while suspended, 2 citations for speeding, and 2 citations for other violations. With the new school year beginning, the Lincoln City Police Department plans on utilizing grant funds to conduct additional enhanced enforcement operations for Distracted Driving during the month of September. As a reminder it is imperative for drivers to fully focus on the task of safely driving their vehicle and to not let anything divert their attention from that task. Drivers need to be paying attention and actively scanning the road ahead of them while watching out for pedestrians and cyclists as well as school busses picking up or dropping off children. The emphasis for the officers working these enhanced enforcement operations is to find and stop drivers who are distracted by talking or texting on their cell phones or using other electronic devices while they are operating their vehicle. Our goal is simple: to increase the safety of the citizens and visitors of Lincoln City by keeping distracted drivers off the roadways and preventing crashes that can cause injuries and cost lives. These grant funds were made possible through the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact.