A survey of California motorists finds that cell phone use among drivers is down from last year, but most motorists continue to be concerned about reckless and speeding drivers on the roads. These are the two biggest safety concerns for motorists, followed closely by distracted driving.

According to the survey, the good news was that distracted driving involving cell phones is down among California drivers. About one third of the drivers in the survey said that they are now using their cell phones less than they used to in the past. The bad news is that over the past month, one in every three drivers had used a hand-held cell phone, while one in five had texted or sent e-mails while driving. 55% of the respondents in the survey said that they had been involved or almost been in an accident involving someone who was texting while driving, or talking on a cell phone.

Drivers in Southern California seem to be more worried about distracted drivers with their cell phones than in other parts of the state. Not surprisingly, older motorists above the age of 35 were more concerned about texting motorists than younger people.

Although drunk driving did not feature in the top three concerns of California motorists, 80% of the respondents in the survey supported the use of sobriety checkpoints to check intoxicated driving. There was also welcome news for Los Angeles car accident lawyers that campaigns like “Report Drunk Drivers. Call 911” have had the desired effect. Approximately one-third of the respondents in the survey said that they are now less likely to drive under the influence because of campaigns like this.

There is also more awareness about driving under the influence of legal and illegal drugs. 70% of the persons in the survey believed that punishments for driving under the influence of prescription and non-prescription drugs should be the same as for driving under the influence of alcohol.