Patrols Stepped Up To Catch Texting Drivers
By
Steve Milne
Monday, February 25, 2013
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About three-dozen Sacramento area law enforcement agencies started a “distracted driving” crackdown today.
Maybe you've seen the graphic TV ads for the "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other" Public Service Announcements. People are using their cell phones while driving.
"We're running a lot of ads to let people know it's happening and convince them not to use their cell phones."
Chris Cochran is with the California State Office of Traffic
Safety which is paying for two-weeks of extra enforcement with
money from a $600,000 federal grant.
"This is a special, pilot project by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration taking place just here in the
Sacramento area - from Modesto to Marysville, Vallejo to South Lake
Tahoe."
Cochran says in 2011 the state reported more than 460,000
handheld cell phone convictions…that's about 100,000 more than the
year before.
A first-time ticket for talking on a hand-held cell phone or
texting while driving is $159.