Crime & Safety
Over 1,200 Cell Phone Tickets Given in April
Santa Cruz County CHP Officers gave no warnings during Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Districted Driving Awareness Month was enforced twice as heavily in 2013 as it was in 2012 in Santa Cruz County.
From April 1-30, local CHP officers gave out 1,272 citations for either talking or texting on handheld phones behind the wheel, Officer Sarah Jackson said via email on Tuesday.
Eight people were arrested from the 1,272 stops made on top of the citations.
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In the same month in 2012, Santa Cruz County CHP officers wrote 619 tickets, just 48 percent of the 2013 total.
Although the awareness month has ended, enforcement will not. Santa Cruz CHP urges drivers to continue driving safely, or for many, to start driving safely.
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"When you consider the potential loss of life, injuries, property damage, or fines, the message should be clear — it's not worth it," Jackson said.
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