We all know talking or texting while driving in California is illegal, but chances are if you look over to your left or right the next time you are driving you will see most people are not too obedient of the law. This has resulted in a zero tolerance crack down that started Tuesday in the Sacramento area. According to this report, on its first day alone California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement officers handed out 345 tickets. That’s right, in one area, in one day, 345 tickets. CHP handed out 147 of those tickets for cell-phone conversations and local law enforcement wrote 198 tickets for the same offense.
As we have reported here on our website many times, cell phones are the leading cause of distracted car driver crashes in California. Even so, two years after the state passed the law that banned drivers from talking on hand-held cell phones, the roads remain full of motorists talking and texting; and the state knows this. Many people feel that the citation for breaking the law is not severe enough so drivers simple ignore the law.
Cell-phone violations have a minimum fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for the second. When court costs and other fees are added, the total can exceed $100 for a first offense alone but it just does not seem enough to break people of their habit.
So beware all those who would endanger other drivers in the Sacramento area; they are planning another one of these zero tolerance days next Wednesday. So do yourself a favor and everyone around you, don’t drive and talk or text. It’s an easy way to avoid an auto accident and all the pain that can come along with them.
