Recently, The Office of Traffic Safety and the California Highway Patrol released a new study regarding California motorists on their cell phones while driving. The study revealed there has been a 39 percent increase of California resident’s using their cell phones while driving.

“It’s shocking that nearly 10 percent of motorists were observed using their cell phones while driving a motor vehicle, a potentially-lethal combination.” We will continue our aggressive public outreach campaign and our partnership with law enforcement to educate the public about the dangers of those who drive distracted and put the lives of others at risk,” said Office of Traffic Safety Director Ronda Craft.

During the study, which was done by the Office of Traffic and Safety and the University of California, Berkley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, researchers observed random motorist behavior on different highways throughout California. This year, 9.2 percent of drivers were seen using their cell phones compared to only 6.6 percent of drivers last year. In 2012, researchers recorded the highest percentage of drivers spotted on their cell phones since they began this study, 10.8 percent.