CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. CHP photo
Drivers on their cellphones and drivers illegally using carpool lanes are among the two biggest gripes of Road Warrior readers.
So with CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow dropping by the Petaluma police station last week to hand out traffic safety awards to the officers there, we asked him about CHP enforcement of those violations.
On cellphones, he said it’s his top pet peeve — “it’s such a safety issue.” And the CHP is addressing the problem by trying to educate the public about the law and handing out tickets where appropriate.
“We’re trying to keep the pressure on,” he said.
The CHP is reaching out to junior high school students about cellphone use and texting and hopes they’ll remind their parents about the law when they see mom or dad pick up a cellphone while driving, he said.
Farrow compared the high violation rate of cellphone use to low seatbelt use in the 1980s, saying that like efforts to get people to buckle up, it’ll take time to achieve high compliance with the state’s cellphone law. He said 96 percent of Californians now use seatbelts.
He said he’s convinced “people will come to accept” that using hand-held cellphones and texting while driving are dangerous and they’ll stop.
In addition, he said, advances in voice activation technology will help people move away from holding their phones.
“Technology and time will help,” he said.
On carpool lane violations, Farrow said he understands the frustrations of law-abiding drivers who watch violators speed by and while the CHP does ticket violators, his top priorities for officers are speeders and drunken drivers.
He noted he sees a lot of violations when he’s not in a marked CHP patrol car.
“People are taking a chance” that a CHP officer won’t see them illegally in the carpool lane, he said.
And it’s an expensive ticket, he said. The base fine is $100 but with state and county fees tacked on, the total in Sonoma County comes to $480.
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Sheri
I believe the powers that be have themselves set up a dangerous situation in designating unreasonably long carpool hours. From 3-6:30, people are squished into two lanes, which backs the traffic up way too far for too long and also exacerbates tension among drivers. There is no reason the carpool lanes can’t begin at 4:30 like they do in Marin. That one change would increase traffic flow along 101 and make for more civil and SAFER driving.
August 15th, 2012 7:04 pm
Case
I think if the commissioner would like to pat his troops on the back without demonstrating any benefit to auto safety I find that egregious in so many ways. California is the number one state in vehicle fatalities in the country. While the commissioner is wasting time stroking the egos of his fellow Highway Patrolman, Californians are dying. Focus on the many vehicle fatalities caused by senior drivers instead of infractions which just bring local government revenue.
I think unless police have a reason to pull you over like driving erratically, they shouldn’t have the right to pull you over for using a cellphone. Handheld devices require just as much distraction from the road maybe more. Lets use our heads people.
August 15th, 2012 8:54 pm
Miggy
Odd, because the drivers I see using cell phones regulary while driving have lights on top of them….
August 16th, 2012 9:05 am
ks
Then what exactly is the point of having car pool lanes if the CHP commissioner himself says it’s not the officer’s priority to enforce them?
August 16th, 2012 9:12 am
ken christiansen
I hear and read alot of rhetoric. i’d love to see the statistics of what is causing daily problems and accidents in the county. we have the glamour of reporting that an accident occurred, but i think the paper or reporting agency or dmv or chp, should publish stats on what is happening out there, and then this will provide a baseline to measure against. also, i think there should be a citizens complaint board setup, ie. in the article the commissioner said in an unmarked car he saw usage of cellphone – did he do anything, or could he – probably not. if we set up something so a private citizen could put in a complaint on a license plate, and say maybe over period of time there were 5 complaints logged, then chp or local police would have the ability to interview the offender based on these complaints and provide a warning, and if it continues, then take action as needed. yep some systems stuff, but cheaper than hiring 1000 more officers
August 16th, 2012 9:30 am
Jeff
Gotta get those ‘speeders’ (rolls eyes). Maybe if the state would set reasonable speed limits (85th percentile), the vast majority of drivers wouldn’t be criminals. Simply traveling at a rate that’s above an arbitrary number on a sign does not make one dangerous or reckless. Faster speeds used to be perfectly safe, apparently, with much cruder cars. The CHP needs to concentrate on DANGEROUS drivers, including those who travel too slowly, weave, or perform other DANGEROUS manouvers. Moving at 70 in a 65 zone by itself endangers no one. Doing 70 in a heavy fog, when most of us are doing 45-50, IS dangerous. It’s just too easy for cops to cite speeders. Other actions take longer to note- it’s not ‘fish in a barrel’.
August 16th, 2012 9:57 am
Gary Askew
I believe fully in NOT using cell phones while driving. I spotted a chp using his while driving, should we call the authorities and report this? I think they should also use Bluetooth or headphones as we are required to do.
August 16th, 2012 10:22 am
Road.Warrior
State law allows public safety workers to use cellphones in the course of their duties while driving. But using a Bluetooth is a good idea.
August 16th, 2012 10:48 am
G
Why was a carpool lane put in anyway? When I voted for the 3rd lane to be added, it was for an extra lane. There was nothing to let us know that we were in fact voting for a car pool lane instead.
August 16th, 2012 10:49 am
whine country romance
Abolish carpool lanes.
Waste of gas, Waste of time and resources. Taxing the many to benefit the few. Eventually they will be converted to toll lanes, so you can pay for them twice, if you have the stomach for it.
August 16th, 2012 11:03 am
Ms Opinion
I see alot of cellphone users driving. That’s pretty bad. Unfortunately, just talking on the phone – handsfree – is distracting. I observe they are usually driving slow and not in sync with the flow, bad lane changes, not noticing another car merging – all of which are dangerous. Do we really need to have extended phone conversations while we’re driving?
Carpool Lanes
I agree, the carpool lane hours are too long. Look at Marin County – going north it’s restricted in the afternoon only, going south in the morning only. Sonoma County – please address the time restrictions.
And as for those carpool lane scofflaws – my favorite is the commuter guys who tells me since his rear windows are tinted dark, the CHP can’t tell whether or not he has passengers. When it rains he always uses the carpool lane because he knows the officers don’t want to get out in the wet weather. He hasn’t gotten a ticket yet. Come on CHP – don’t let these people get over on you.
August 16th, 2012 11:35 am
Bob
Last night (8-15) on 101 southbound at 8:45pm i noticed a CHP unit sitting inside a concrete barrier lights out on the Cotati grade and so many cars passing him doing 65-70 or faster and he did nothing!! What a waste of time all those double fines and he did nothing!! The double fine zone crackdown is a joke for the CHP–Do your job!! If any unit gets on the freeway going north or south from the headquarters in Rohnert park and does not issue even one ticket is a joke!!!
August 16th, 2012 11:39 am
Mike
“State law allows public safety workers to use cellphones in the course of their duties while driving. But using a Bluetooth is a good idea.”
And this is the hypocracy that are complaining about. If it is as dangerous and irresponsible as the commish states, then WHY are public safety workers allowed to do it? Can’t do thier jobs correctly without it? They did thier jobs just fine well before cell phones were even invented.
And PLEASE don’t come with ‘they are better trained drivers’, because facts will show just the opposite. SRPD are by far the worst drivers in the city. You might as well just remove the entire turn signal assemblies from all patrol cars, as they are never used. Add the speedometers as well. Posted speed limits mean nothing to them. Clean up your own house before you start messing with ours.
August 16th, 2012 1:16 pm
Susan
I think he’s delusional if he thinks people will see how dangerous it is using cell phone whil driving. If they don’t care now they’re never going to. I see many people get in their car in a parking lot or from being parked somewhere, get on the phone,then leave. Why not sit there & do your call? And hands free means a bud for your ear so both hands are free, not holding the phone in front of your face & talking on speaker phone. Heaven forbid you remind these people about the law they get quite angry never mind they’ve about run you over,don’t use blinkers & just move over, are all over the road, on the gas on the brake etc. So how can this officer even remotely think people ‘will’ care when they don’t now? I say jack that fine way up because money is the only care they’d have about it. I know 2 people that were caught using cell while driving.They both complained about how much money it was but never a thought to the fact that A they were breaking the law & B putting others at risk.
August 16th, 2012 1:26 pm
teedog
Ahhh, now I know why no one uses their turn signal, they are to busy holding the phone with the hand that they would use to use their turn signal. PEOPLE USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS, WE ARE NOT MIND READERS!
August 16th, 2012 2:21 pm
Kurt
People complaining about cops using cell phones are obviously cell phone violators themselves. The only way we’ll put an end to cell phone drivers is to increase the penalty for doing so. $1000 for 1st violation, $5000 and jail time for 2nd.
August 16th, 2012 2:26 pm
Michele
Novel idea ….
Obey the laws as they exist, and quit with the whiney excuses. Blah Blah Blah.
August 16th, 2012 2:47 pm
Peaches
I proudly use the carpool lane alone in the car every morning. If the cops don’t care, why should I? However, I do use my turn signal before moving into the carpool lane while I am flipping off cell phone users. I do hope this balances things out a little. How would Jesus drive? Lost your Harley? Look under my tires!
August 16th, 2012 3:03 pm
Safedriver
I’m old enough to remember when cell phones did not exist, as many of you probably do. I don’t remember that being an kind of hardship at all. I believe 99.9% of all cell phone use by drivers is necessary. In the old days we had to find a pay phone, but that need very rarely came up.
On the subject of carpool lanes, the need for them should be re-evaluated with an open, critical mind. I believe that all drivers have paid taxes towards the cost of highways and should be able to use them. I won’t get into all the other reasons I think they should be abolished but I don’t believe you can really call it a three lane freeway if one lane is off limits to the majority of drivers.
August 16th, 2012 3:12 pm
J Saling
I agree that I did not vote for a “Car-Pool” lane, I voted to pay for a “Third Lane”. With all of two or three cars I see using the Car-Pool lanes and all the trucks slowed to 55 MPH in the right hand lanes, I just can’t make any sense out of the Diamond Lane. I paid for it just like everyone else but yet 99% of us can’t use it when traffic is the worst. Get rid of the diamond lane. Santa Rosa is still the most congested corridor in Northern California, including San Francisco.
August 16th, 2012 4:37 pm
Just me
Cops should not use cell phones ether, they are no diffrent then you or me, they can be distracted just the same i seen it.
August 16th, 2012 10:56 pm
Rich Honsa
This guy is destined for politics ! Answers that say nothing . Heavy saturation of ticket writing and higher fines on cell phones & His focus is on speeders & drunk drivers ? Most the ones in the diamond lanes are speeding and during the commute hours the drunk drivers are at there lowest level .
August 17th, 2012 9:36 am
hardy
mike has the best comment on here. there is nothing worse than having a cop blow by you at 80 miles an hour while he is talking on his cellphone, so safe. another one I love is turning on the lights cause they don’t want to wait on a light, only to turn them off soon as they are through it, big emergency. they need to repremanded by the people they SERVE. such a joke.
August 17th, 2012 11:48 am
Road.Warrior
FYI: The police lights on and then off most likely is because the officer is responding to an urgent call but not a Code 3 call. It allows the officer to get through the intersection without waiting for the green light. This is a common practice among our local police departments.
August 17th, 2012 1:54 pm
Dave
Your article says that cell phone use and carpool violators are the biggest complaint from your readers. I have no problem with carpool violators. Commuters have had to suffer through the slow construction for the last 3 years and pay taxes to build the lanes. I agree with others who have said that we voted for a third lane. Not some lane that is restrictive and is only used by 9% of the people during the restrictive time. The two other lanes become more dangerous with the bumper to bumper traffic. So enough already, finish this project, set the speed limt at 65 and repeal the HOV lane.
August 22nd, 2012 9:29 am
Pat
Bad idea. Useless commuter lane. It’s usually nearly empty while we have 2 lanes of parking lot. They need to get rid of the diamonds. So far I’ve found it good for one thing, passing.
August 23rd, 2012 5:24 pm