University Police at Cal State Long Beach have given out 62 tickets to drivers for texting or talking on cell phones without a hands-free device since January.
Because California declared last month Distracted Driving Awareness Month, on-campus police have been enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward drivers using their cellphones without a hands-free device.
According to University Police Capt. Fernando Solorzano, police will continue to enforce the policy at the same level throughout the duration of the semester.
Texting while driving or using a cellphone without a hands-free device comes with a $159 price tag for a first offense, and $279 for each ticket following.
Although it is hard to tell if the ticket fine will help prevent distracted driving, Solorzano said it will have a strong influence because drivers will want to avoid paying a high fee in the struggling economy.
Even with the zero-tolerance policy, senior communications studies major Sarah Hancock said she believes people will continue to use their cellphones while driving.
“I see people all over California who are still talking on their cellphones,” Hancock said.
Other students, such as junior history major Brianna Mix, think the ticket will not reduce cellphone use in the long run.
“The people who get a ticket for using their cellphone while driving will just find ways to hide it better in the future,” Mix said.
Although everyone can be tempted to use their cellphone while driving, drivers should make a conscious effort to avoid it, Solorzano said.
“While University Police understand that students are distracted with finals rapidly approaching, we urge them to monitor their use of cellphones while driving,” he said.
Placing your cellphone on silent, putting it out of sight to minimize the temptation or letting a passenger answer your phone and text messages for you are tactics drivers should use, Solorzano said.
The No. 1 distraction while driving is electronic devices, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Currently, eight states, including California, banned the use of a cellphone while driving and 31 states banned text messaging while driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.
