Beginning Monday, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol will crack down on motorists who use their cellphones to talk without hands-free devices or text while driving.
The crackdown will run from Monday through next Saturday, Feb. 18, according to a statement issued by the sheriff's department today.
Motorists caught talking without a hands free device or texting on their cell phones will receive a ticket that costs a minimum of $159 for a first offense and $279 for repeat offenders.
"We take distracted driving very seriously,'' sheriff's Lt. David Gilmore said. "Cell phone use and texting while driving is such a serious concern that we are putting deputies and officers on the road to target offenders.''
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injury themselves.
