Burlingame Police Lauch Campaign Against Distracted Driving

As part of April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign, the Burlingame Police Department will be actively ticketing those texting or operating hand-held cell phones throughout the month of April.

The current minimum ticket cost is $159, with subsequent tickets costing at least $279, Burlingame Police Sergeant Jay Kiely said Thursday.

Last April, over 57,000 tickets were written statewide for texting and hand-held cell use, with nearly 450,000 convictions in 2012.

“Studies have shown that drivers distracted by devices such as cell phones are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves,” said Burlingame Police Chief Ed Wood.

“Our mission is to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving in the hopes that they will no longer expose themselves, their loved ones, and other motorists to the inherent dangers of distracted driving."

In April, 225 local agencies, in addition to the CHP, will conduct zero tolerance enforcements.

The Burlingame Police Department has issued the following tips to avoid a distracted driving ticket or crash:

• Turn off your phone and/or put it out of reach while driving.
• Include in your outgoing message that you can’t answer the phone while you’re driving.
• Don’t call or text anyone at a time when you think you may be driving.