Post Date March 4, 2013 – PA Police officers who are tasked to enforce a new law prohibiting Pennsylvania drivers from texting while diving or using their cellphones while having their hands on the steering wheel expressed difficulty in implementing such law. Texting while driving was imposed in the state of Pennsylvania just a few months ago. Sadly, only a few months after the new law was enacted and police started enforcing it,  the police were just able to write less than 800 citations – statewide.

Texting while driving has a big cost

The bulk of these texting while driving tickets came from Pennsylvania’s south east region. Philadelphia police officers were able to ticket nearly 160 drivers, while Montgomery County officers were able to write nearly 80.Some other areas of the state were only able to write less than 20 tickets while  the remaining forty counties were only able to write 10 texting while driving tickets each.  believe it or not, there were some counties which were not able to write one texting while driving ticket.

Many police departments in Pennsylvania have stated the ban on texting while driving is too difficult, if not virtually impossible to enforce. Even if a police officer is successful in ticketing a driver for texting while driving, proving it in court is very hard to prove. Texting while driving bans are being imposed to prevent drivers from additional distractions while they are driving. The use of mobile communication devices is now more popular than ever. It has became a habit among the many. According to the PA Auditor General who submitted the bill on texting while driving ban,  he said that the goal of the new law is not just to impose fines on that law’s violators but to change their driving behavior. He predicted that a complete ban on the use of hand-held communication devices would soon replace the texting while driving ban in the state.

–Mike 

Michael E. Dortch
President &  Senior Agent
InsureDirect.com
Corporate Home Office
618 South Broad Street
Lansdale, Pennsylvania  19446
(800) 807-0762  ext. 206