Thousands of Area Drivers Cited During Distracted Driving Campaign
Remember those commercials and billboards with the slogan “Phone in One Hand. Ticket in the Other”?
Well, the California Office of Traffic Safety has released their numbers for the Sacramento region on how many people have been cited for distracted driving during that campaign – and the numbers are somewhat staggering.
Between Nov. 30 and Dec. 9, 2,923 drivers were cited. Officials note that the number would have been higher, but weather hampered enforcement attempts.
With the cost of a first-time ticket for distracted driving being a minimum of $159, that means area residents accounted for at least $464,757 in fines. Taking into account that second offenses for distracted driving cost $279, that total could be much higher.
According to 2010 Department of Transportation numbers, over 3,000 people have been killed as a result of distracted driving crashes.
More special enforcement operations are scheduled for Feb. 25 to March 10 of next year.