(El Centro Police Department will be conducting a special enforcement operation)...It will run through the month of April.

The operation will focus on drivers suspected of violating the hands-free cell phone law. Under current law, divers are not allowed to operate a vehicle while holding a phone or electronic communications device. this includes talking, texting or using an app. Using a hand-held cell phone is punishable by a fine. Violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver's record. El Centro Police Chief Robert Sawyer says a drivers focus should be on the road, not their phone. If you have an important phone call or need to program directions, pull over to a safe parking spot. Before driving, either silence your phone or put it somewhere you can't reach. Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.