20,000 cellphone tickets written
California Highway Patrol officials say they have issued more than 20,000 tickets over three months to drivers breaking the law by using a hand-held cellphone while driving.
The CHP has issued more than 1,500 of those tickets in an area stretching from Modesto to Bakersfield, with Fresno police citing an additional 1,509 drivers.
Despite the publicity surrounding the July 1 enactment of the law, CHP spokesman Tom Marshall says many drivers “still don’t get it.”
The fine is $20 for the first offense, which with court costs adds up to $92 in Fresno County.
Cellphone distractions were the leading cause of accidents from 2005 to 2007.
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