Motorists in Nevada County will need to be even more careful about the way they use their social devices this month. The local Highway Patrol office, with the help of other law enforcement agencies, has several special enforcement days planned regarding National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. And that included Thursday, where the western part of the county is the focus, including Highway 49 south of Grass Valley. CHP Officer Greg Tassone says a new state law has further tightened the use of cell phones and smartphones. That includes securing a device inside the vehicle…

click to listen to Officer Tassone

Tassone says citations are on the rise here, as well as around the state. He says the behavior is now so prevalent, and the laws are now more specific, that officers have learned how to spot it more easily…

click to listen to Officer Tassone

In California, 85 people were killed in collisions in which distracted driving was a factor in 2015, the latest numbers available. It was 87 in 2014 and 84 in 2013. Enforcement days run from the morning commute through the evening commute periods.