Texting while driving and talking on a cellphone have been illegal in the state of California for quite awhile now, yet even so, people still insist on engaging in the habit. The number of convictions for cellphone violations actually jumped to 460,487 in 2011, up by nearly 100,000 from the previous year, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
To help cut down on these numbers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the state’s Office of Traffic Safety have made grant money available for various localities to crack down on the issue. That’s why drivers in Placer County this week could see an increased police presence, with those officers especially on the lookout for breaches in cellphone law.
The County’s Sheriff’s Office will be out in full force starting Monday, and they won’t relent for nearly two weeks. Officials will be engaging in various offender-catching tactics in order to find out what lessons could be applied across the rest of the country. The enforcement effort will take place in Loomis, Colfax, and north Auburn, and drivers caught on their phones can expect to face a fine of $159, a number that increases to $279 if the person has been caught in the past.
In the meantime, officers also have a couple tips for drivers. Stow the phone while driving, and if an acquaintance of yours is on the road, refrain from contact with them until you know they’ve stopped.