Laguna Beach Police Wrote 23 Tickets Wednesday to Distracted Drivers

Laguna Beach police officers on Wednesday wrote out 23 traffic citations to drivers who were caught texting or operating hand-held cell phones behind the wheel.

Lt. Jeff Calvert of the Laguna Beach Police Department tells Patch that the special operation, which will be repeated on April 16, is being done now as part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The fine for distracted driving is steep -- $159 for a first offense, and it goes up for every violation after.

Last April, over 57,000 tickets were written statewide for texting and hand-held cell use.

“We all know that talking on our cell phones while driving is distracting, but that doesn’t stop some people from continuing to do it,” said Calvert. “This effort is intended to educate our community about the dangers of cell phone use while driving.  We hope that once people see the statistics and realize the danger involved, they will change their driving habits to help protect themselves, their families, and others on the road.”

To avoid a distracted driving ticket or crash, the Laguna Beach Police Department offers drivers the following tips:

• Turn off your phone and/or put it out of reach while driving.
• Include in your outgoing message that you can’t answer while you are driving.
• Don’t call or text anyone at a time when you think they may be driving.

Did you get a ticket yesterday? What's your excuse, if you had one? Tell us in the comments below ...