San Carlos Cell Phone Violations Double; Number of Tickets is Twice What it Was a Year Ago

Cell phone traffic citations have doubled in the past year, according to San Carlos Police Department statistics.

Cell phone violations have increased to 1121 from August 2009 to August 2010 from 560 over the same period in 2008 to 2009.

The current cell phone law, enacted in July 2008, prohibits drivers from using a cellular phone while driving unless a using a hands-free device. In January 2009, electronic text messaging while driving was banned as well.

Patrol Commander Mark Robbins of the San Carlos Police Department stated that the citation increase is due to stricter enforcement in general, rather than a directed effort on cell phone violations.

"We restored a new full-time traffic position, so there is both a motorcycle officer and a full-time officer," Robbins said. "With more officers on the road at any given time, there are bound to be more citations."

He continued, "traffic enforcement is priority here since it's the number one complaint we get from the community."

Statistics prove that discouraging drivers from talking on their cell phones could help reduce accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that talking on a cell phone while driving increases the risk of an accident by 300 percent.

 The base fine for a first offense is $20 and subsequent violations are $50, however local court costs and program fees make the actual fine much higher.

A bill approved by the California State Senate and currently awaiting consideration by the state Assembly would increase penalties to $50 for first offenders and $100 for subsequent violations, in addition to existing fees, by treating cell phone tickets as moving violations. Offending drivers would also receive a point on their driving record.

Because the fines collected for traffic violations go to the state's general fund, some citizens are concerned that the recent increase in citations is a means of collecting revenue for the cash-strapped California budget. But Robbins contests that cell phone violations are being used to fill state coffers.

"The increase has nothing to do with budget crises," Robbins said. "The amount from any citation is very minimal."

Neighboring cities have also seen an increase in cell phone violations. In Foster City they increased to 446 from August 2009 to August 2010 from 256 over the same period in 2008 to 2009, and in Belmont citations jumped to 656 from 477.

In San Mateo the number of violations did not change, with 785 citations this year compared to 804 last year.