By Lookout Staff

December 9, 2025 -- Santa Monica traffic officers this month will crack down on motorists suspected of violating the hands-free cell phone law, police officials announced Monday.

The enforcement operations will focus on drivers suspected of holding a phone or electronic communications device while driving, officials said.

Current law bars talking, texting, or using an app on a cell phone or other handheld device. In addition, any driver under the age of 18 is prohibited from using a cell phone for any reason.

Drivers using a handheld cell phone can be fined, and those who violate California's hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will have a point added to their record, which can negatively impact insurance premiums or driving privileges.

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

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), 148 people were killed in California in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2022, the most recent data available.

"Mobile devices remain the biggest distraction for drivers, whether it is texting, talking on the phone, or using apps," OTS officials said.

Engaging in distracting behaviors with a phone like dialing, talking or texting while driving "increases the risk of getting into a crash by three times," according to OTS.

A Public Opinion Survey conducted by OTS this year found that 71.4 percent of Californians "identified distracted driving because of texting as one of their top traffic safety concern on California roads."

Data show driver distraction is the primary cause of major injury crashes involving teens, OTS officials said.

Under California law, drivers can only use cell phones and other communication devices "in a hands-free manner, such as speaker phone or voice commands, but never while holding it," officials said.

Police advise drivers to "pull over to a safe parking spot" if they have "an important phone call or need to program directions.

"Before driving, either silence your phone or put it somewhere you can’t reach," police officials said.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.