Crime & Safety

Police to Crack Down on Drivers Using Cell Phones

The minimum fine for driving while talking or texting on a hand-held device while driving is $159.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month is around the corner and beginning April 4 the Newport Beach Police Department will join the CHP and more than 225 law enforcement agencies around the state in cracking down on drivers using hand-held cell phones while behind the wheel.

The minimum fine for driving while talking or texting on a hand-held device while driving is $159, according to the Police Department, with subsequent violations costing $279.

“We recognize that convincing drivers to refrain from using cell phones or texting while driving isn’t easy,” state Traffic Safety Office Director Christopher J. Murphy said in a statement. “It’s very difficult to resist the urge to check an incoming text or answer a cell phone call. That’s why we are stepping up enforcement and public awareness efforts. Convincing California drivers to wear seat belts 20 years ago wasn’t easy either, but in 2010 more than 96 percent buckled up and thousands of lives were saved.”

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Drivers using hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into accidents that result in injuries, according to the Police Department. Drivers younger than 20 years old accounting for highest proportion of fatal distracted driving crashes, the department said.

“We just want drivers to use some common sense when they’re behind the wheel and focus on driving,” Murphy said.

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