There are a good number of US states that have banned the use of cellphone handsets while behind the wheel. The ban makes it illegal to make phone calls without a headset or tap out SMS text messages while driving. The laws have increased overall road safety but have also proven to be good business for local law enforcement.
The California Highway Patrol’s coastal division has issued 9,200 citations to drivers using mobile phones on the road, between July 2008 and June 2009. The agency also cited 64 motorists for sending SMS text messages while driving from January to June of 2009. In that same time, Simi Valley police wrote up 1,047 cellphone-driving tickets and five texting-while-driving tickets. Ventura county saw 1,438 violations of the cellphone driving ban, with 18 tickets hitting texting drivers where it hurts. Oxnard police saw 1,609 instances of drivers yapping it up without headsets and 12 instances of drivers sending text messages instead of driving.
The citations are no doubt bringing the state of California some much needed revenue. Considering the actual fine as well as the additional court fees associated with these kinds of tickets, the cellphone-driving ban has proven quite lucrative. Even more promising is the rate with which drivers are complying with the laws. Oxnard police Cmdr. Martin Meyer says the compliance rate was initially high, but has dropped since the law’s introduction – public education on the matter will be key to increasing adoption rates. “If you were to tell me back in 1978 that we would have 98 percent compliance in seat belts, I would say you lost your mind,” he said. “We can write all the tickets we want to, but unless people really believe in it, you’re not going to see those compliance rates.”
The next step will be to require all states to mandate the use of headsets while driving as well as banning text messages on the road.
[Via: Phone+]