More California Drivers Spotted Using Cellphones, Traffic Report Shows

The number of California drivers using cellphones is rising, as are deaths and injuries blamed on distracted driving.

The California Office of Traffic Safety reported this week that nearly 13 percent of drivers were seen using mobile devices in an April survey.

That’s up from about 9 percent last year and exceeds the previous high of about 11 percent in 2013.

The number of drivers killed or injured in crashes where distracted driving was a factor increased each of the last three years, to more than 11,000 last year.

Nearly 60 percent of drivers reported they have been hit or nearly hit by another driver using a cellphone.

The California Highway Patrol wrote more than 13,000 distracted driving tickets in April alone.