La Mesa police ticketed 56 “distracted drivers” Friday who were either talking or texting on their cell phones behind the wheel.
The La Mesa Police Department says the citations were issued over the course of a six-hour period Friday morning as part of the “Traffic Safety Enforcement Program” operation aimed at keeping our roadways safe and eliminating distractions while driving.
Funding for the operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles website, the base fine for a first-time texting while driving offense is $20, followed by $50 for each subsequent offense. With penalty assessments, the DMV says the fine can be more than triple the base fine amount.
The DMV says driving distractions – including cell phone use – are the leading cause of most vehicle crashes and near-crashes.
According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 80 percent of crashes involve some sort of driver distraction.
Earlier this week, a pickup truck driver who died in a rollover crash in Poway was found to be texting at the time of the fatal crash. Deputies said David Dorion, 43, was receiving or sending text messages when his truck veered off Espola Road and slammed into a tree.
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