Dana Point is putting the brakes on distracted driving, as the local Sheriff's Department amps up enforcement this Friday, with deputies on the hunt for screen-addicted motorists flouting the rules. Drivers caught chatting, texting, or awkwardly fumbling with their phones in a hands-free zone can expect a wallet-pinching $162 ticket for their first offense, and at least $285 for any repeat performance, the Sheriff’s Department reported.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tallied up to 3,450 lives lost to distracted driving in 2016, and a joint survey by Fresno State and the California Office of Traffic Safety spotted nearly 5 percent of California drivers playing fast and loose with the law, gabbing or swiping without a hands-free device in 2018.
A financial nudge from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's coffers, is painting the crosshairs on this crackdown.
