Police: Texting While Driving Citations In Philadelphia Down In 2014
By Michelle Durham
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A law banning texting while driving went into effect in March 2012, since that time Philadelphia Police have tracked how many citations have been issued to people who have defied it.
In 2012, 176 citations were issued. In 2013, 116, and so far in 2014, just 23.
"There's no definitive answer as to why the numbers have dropped," Philadelphia Police Spokesperson John Stanford said. "I think there have been more of a push to educate drivers that this is a violation of the law."
Now how do officers determine who they will pull over? Lt. Stanford says officers have to observe the texting taking place, but he declined to say more then that as he doesn't want to provide potential scofflaws more information.
"It's against the law. It takes a second for you to rear end someone. It takes a second for you to hit a child. Just be mindful of that. Pull over if it is that important."
In addition to enforcement and education efforts, Stanford attributes the decline in citations this year to the brutal winter which left the roads less travelled.