41 people cited in one hour for using cellphones while driving in Torrance, police say

People in Torrance who talk on their cellphones while driving may want to rethink that idea after police there ticketed 41 drivers for allegedly talking on their cellphones over the span of an hour.

Officers from the Torrance Police Department's traffic and special events division set up an operation on Hawthorne Boulevard at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to stop drivers for talking or texting on their cellphones. The one-hour operation netted 41 violators, police said.

The operation was prompted, in part, by police officers' observations while on the road, said Sgt. Jeremiah Hart.

“We’re seeing this a lot. Let’s go out and do some education on this,” Hart said Thursday. “We’re trying to reduce distractions.”

One driver also was arrested for driving without a license, he said.

The total fine for a first cellphone violation is $142, including court fees and penalty assessments.

-- Raja Abdulrahim

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Comments

[Andrew]

Good job. We need to enforce this law, and I don't mind that the police department gets a little money on the side.

I walk my kid to school in West LA, and as you can imagine, the traffic gets pretty crazy as it gets closer to the bell ringing. The scary thing is that I see about about 1 in 10 of the driving parents talking or even texting on their phone. Real smart.

[smo1deringIZ]

Hooray! Finally.....now we need to get all the cities to do the same thing. Why bother having a law that is not enforced. More and more people every single day are driving one handed and chatting away on the phone. I recently had a female in a HUGE Hummer come out of a car wash, yapping away on her phone, block 3 lanes of nb traffic trying to get into a left turn lane. I waited for her, but made a comment about hanging up the stupid phone -- keep in mind I am in my car. She read my lips and rolled her window down and started screaming at me and telling me to come out of my car and fight. GOOD GRIEF. So I smiled and mimic-ed...."PHONE - illegal" and she threw it in her lap and kept screaming. Very very stupid. Made me laugh.

[Christine Beatty]

Excellent! I can't count the number of times I've been cut off or nearly run off the road by some airhead (man or female) jabbering away with one hand on the wheel and another clutching their cellular lifeline. I hope this is just the beginning. Imagine the revenue we could raise by cracking down on these scofflaws, no to mention making our roads safer.

[ARL]

It's about time something is done. I see way too many people talking on their phones while driving. Just think, in just one hour, the Torrance police department generated $5822 for the city. I don't see why more police departments aren't doing this. If the CHP would do this, this would help with this money crisis California is experiencing. Way to go Torrance, lead by example.

[CK]

A study to be released tomorrow by the Highway Data Loss Institute shows that a reduction in headset use does NOT correspond to safer driving. Unfortunately this is just another money-making scheme. Nothing more. The law is the law but legislation as a revenue raising opportunity only hurts the people it proposes to protect.

[Don]

So, what is your point George? If the officers ONLY reason was to generate revenue then I am ALL FOR IT! These people are breaking the law and endagering lives. Why stop at one hour? Let's go for a full 10-12 hour shift. Maybe if more cities jump on the band wagon then these self-obsorbed law breakers can help reduce the debt LA is in. Or maybe get the idea to drop $20 for a hands free device.

[SGee]

Yes, this should be an everyday thing. I commute 10 west to 605 south, nearly 60 miles round trip, M - F. I see people talking on their cells every day. Who do they think you are and what the heck is so important? Do these people just need to be "talked in" to their destination? And, if they're the type that have to gesture with their hands while talking--watch out! Even big rig drivers are talking on their cells. I've seen alot of younger drivers weaving while they TEXT! So stupid.

As scary as that is, I frequently see stupid girls/women applying make-up while driving.

All of these should be cause for license suspension.

[jeff]

Wow big deal. Talking on cell phone is my given free speech rights. I will continue talking on it, catch me if you think you can.

[Ken]

How about lessening the red light camera fine and increase the cell phone/texting fine.

[TC]

I watched a guy last night on the cell phone changing lanes erratically on PCH (with no signal, of course) drive past two motorcycle cops doing a speed trap. Did he get a ticket? - nope! Maybe the LAPD could help themselves out through this budget crises if they didn't keep letting these idiots go by.

[Chris]

I'd like to know the gender breakdown of the tickets. I'm just sayin'...I think one gender is far more guilty than another.

[Kelly]

its cause california is in debt and like always they need our money, once again government take it out on the people's money. Start practicing self suffiency and be self-reliant. I dont vote cause our system hasn't had sunshine for decades. forget the USA get out while you can.

[Kat]

Wonderful! I wish all police departments would do something like this on a regular basis. There is simply no excuse for talking/texting while driving...& yes, I do have a cell phone!

[Adam Garcia]

What about the police that are talking on cellphones. I have personally seen them on talking cell phone, laughing... and drive through stop signs, because they weren't paying attention to the road.
If they (the police) are enforcing the law, they should also abide by it too!!!

[WilDamA]

Police should do a sweep in Glendale for drivers talking on their cell phones... be able to raise enough money in fines to put LA county back in the black

[C]

I love it, I wish the LAPD would do this. The city's financial woes could be solved in about 30 days. Oh, city council....are you paying attention to this?!

[Jimmy]

let's do this statewide...i'm on the road practically everyday and i always see drivers either talking on the cellphone (directly, no handsfree) or texting...what is especially scary is some of them are driving those huge suv's which can cause a lot of damage if they get involved in an accident...kudos to tpd for doing this...

[Kohnd]

If the city put every new probationary officer on traffic law enforcement L.A city would have a budget surplus in no time.
From speederd, wreckless drivers to people running stop signs and street lights we would make enough money on penalties to save our economy.

[Paddyoski]

Hear-hear! As for studies about use of headsets *not* reducing traffic accidents, you'd actually have to have a population sample that was using the headsets. Yesterday I saw a woman holding the phone to her ear and filing her nails at the same time!

Enforce the law. Make some money. Perhaps save a few lives.

[Westside Chris]

They should try the 101 across the Valley floor, and the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass and Westside; I see at least 10 people a day spacing out just talking on their cells. Do they think they're better than everyone else, or above the law? This irritates the buhjeezzes out of me; I spent my $30 on a bluetooth hands free set, WHY CAN'T YOU!?!

Not that I'm in favor of snitching, but honestly, it's a safety issue and everyone that still puts that cell to their ear and drives is giving everyone else on the phone a metaphorical finger. Those are the folks that should be assisting with closing the budget gap via fine after fine.

[RS]

This goes hand in hand with the story from the other day about how accidents having really been reduced since the law took affect. I see people talking on their cell phones everyday. What makes me laugh is that most of the time they are using their speakerphone, but are still holding it up to their mouth as opposed to their ear. Hello people, it's called the "Hands Free" law, not the "don't talk with the phone to your ear law". Ha!

[S. TURNER]

Only 41 people cited? I sometimes think I'm the only person in the South Bay who isn't on the phone while driving. I've seen way too many near-accidents caused by people too wrapped up in their phone conversations to concentrate on driving. The fine should be increased 10X.

[KK]

Good job. About time we put some teeth. Most people have forgotten about this new law. That should help pay for the police.

[adrianausa]

I much prefer safety oriented enforcement such as this over the camera type enforcment. Safety should always be the primary goal of traffic enforcement.

[Andres]

But who is monitoring the police who drive and talk on their cell phones?