“It’s Not Worth It” was the slogan of a campaign against distracted driving, conducted by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) in spring 2011. The OTS is right: it’s not worth it – not worth the safety risks, not worth the legal consequences, and not worth the higher insurance costs. California already has the fifth most expensive auto insurance rates in the US (Quadrant Information Services), so you may struggle to get cheap California insurance if you have an accident due to being distracted.

The OTS campaign certainly yielded some successful — yet worrying — results. In the month of April alone, 52,664 citations were issued for talking or texting on a cell phone. It’s a sign that law enforcement officers are serious about cracking down on distracted driving.

The Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System reported a seven per cent reduction in fatal vehicle accidents in April 2011 compared to April 2010. It’s hard to say if the anti distracted driver campaign was a factor, but it is a good sign.

The message is that using a cell phone while driving can have some dire consequences. It can be deadly, it’s illegal and you can probably say goodbye to cheap California insurance premiums if you cause an accident.

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