Public Safety

400+ Drivers Cited in Crackdown on Illegal Phone Use

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Hundreds of local drivers are paying the price for ignoring the ban on using hand-held devices behind the wheel. 

In a five-day crackdown on distracted driving last week, the County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol cited 438 adults for talking on the phone or texting while driving.  Four juveniles were also cited; they are not allowed to use a phone while driving even if it is hands-free.

A first-offense for violating either the hands free or no texting law costs at least $159. Subsequent violations lead to fines of $279 or more. During last week’s effort, several of the cited drivers had received citations in the past.

The Sheriff’s Department says officers spotted more than 500 other cases of drivers breaking the law, but could not go after the drivers because they had to handle a higher-priority call.

The California Office of Traffic Safety reports motorists who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into serious crashes. Drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes.

This is the second distracted driving crackdown the Sheriff’s Department and CHP have teamed up on this year.  The first yielded a similar number of citations.