Drivers who operate a cell phone in one hand when driving may soon find a ticket in the other hand.

Patterson Police Services is teaming up with nearly 40 agencies between Friday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 9 to curb drivers from using hand-held cell phone and texting while driving.

“Talking or texting on a cell phone while driving on the streets of Patterson is dangerous to everyone on the roadways, and officers will be out looking and ticketing with zero tolerance,” Patterson Traffic Deputy Robert Banks stated in a Friday, Nov. 30 release.

Local police will receive assistance from the state Office of Traffic Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, California Highway Patrol and 36 other law enforcement agencies across Northern California. The federally funded pilot program aims to test tactics that may be employed nationally in the future. The news release that Sgt. Paul Yotsuya produced Friday did not specify what tactics are being used.

In 2010, 3,092 people were killed nationally, and an estimated 416,000 others were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.

First-time tickets will cost a minimum of $159, with a second offense costing at least $279. The goal of the special enforcement operation is not to issue tickets but to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, according to the release

Patterson Police urge drivers to:

• Turn off your phone and/or put it out of reach,

• include in your outgoing message you can’t answer while you are driving,

• and don’t call or text anyone at a time when you think they may be driving.

For more information on distracted driving: www.distraction.gov/sacramentoregion .

• Contact the Irrigator at 892-6187 or news@pattersonirrigator.com.