cell phone/texting while driving? no change in the drivers I see everyday. Any tickets yet? (Bandera: moving, ordinance)

[jksa09]

Just curious, seems the cell phone/texting ban while driving has had no effect. Is the amount of the fine is not enough for people to think twice about getting a ticket. Still see people looking down, weaving, sitting at lights after they turn green. Is SAPD enforcing this? Or is this just additional lack of traffic control/enforcement in SA?

[Deep Forest]

The police will continue to let the scofflaws get away with using their cell phones thinking the ordinance is a joke until SAPD figures out a foolproof way to enforce it.....then WHAMMO !!!! You'll hear a bunch of whining and crying.

[ashbeeigh]

I've seen lots of people talking on blue tooths since the ban took effect. It doesn't effect their distractedness, though. When I see hands moving and a slower driver I can automatically tell they are talking on their blue tooth.

Not that I'm a perfect angel, I'll grab my phone every once in a while to see if anyone has texted me while waiting at long lights (like at Bandera and 410) but otherwise it stays in my purse. (Is someone going to come and ticket me by me admitting that?)

[txtea]

Actually, I did witness two people get pulled over for cell phone use. I was sitting in traffic last week on the I-10 access road between Huebner and DeZavala. A cop on a motorcycle was slowly going in between cars when he stopped on the right side blind spot of this white Subaru. He looked thru the side window for about 20 seconds, then turned on his lights and pulled her over in the Taco Cabana parking lot.

This past friday, there was a patrol car sitting in the turn lane on DeZavala across from the entrance to Walmart. He was looking at every car that drove by and the ones waiting for the light. While I was waiting for traffic to move, he pulled over a car next to me. I saw her texting as I sat there. Caught myself clapping my hands as the light turned green.....

[Deep Forest]

Oh, I almost forgot.....if you hit someone or run into something and there's a witness that says they saw you talking on the phone or texting, the police will subpoena your cell phone activity and there will be about a 98% chance that you'll be charged.

[Deep Forest]

Originally Posted by txtea

A cop on a motorcycle was slowly going in between cars when he stopped on the right side blind spot of this white Subaru. He looked thru the side window for about 20 seconds, then turned on his lights and pulled her over in the Taco Cabana parking lot.

Jeez, seems like I posted a video like that from New Zealand awhile back where the motorcycle cop was doing exactly that only he had a video camera on his helmet to record the stops. Most replies thought that it was stupid, won't happen here or I'll outsmart the cop. H-m-m-m-m.

[grjr]

Originally Posted by Deep Forest

Oh, I almost forgot.....if you hit someone or run into something and there's a witness that says they saw you talking on the phone or texting, the police will subpoena your cell phone activity and there will be about a 98% chance that you'll be charged.

Cell phone records won't show if you were using a hands-free device or not so I don't see how they could charge anyone from that.

[Pachuco2]

I witnessed a S.A.P.D. officer cruising threw a yellow light, turning,... leaning on his drivers door...smiling on his mobile phone, didn't appear to me to be official police business,...js.

[Deep Forest]

Originally Posted by grjr

Cell phone records won't show if you were using a hands-free device or not so I don't see how they could charge anyone from that.

More than likely you wouldn't receive a ticket for using a hands-free device. But if he sees you holding it up to your ear or texting away he'll have proof that you were, indeed, using it at the time of the violation. If they're smart they'll start taking video of the violation in progress.

[Deep Forest]

Originally Posted by Pachuco2

I witnessed a S.A.P.D. officer cruising threw a yellow light, turning,... leaning on his drivers door...smiling on his mobile phone, didn't appear to me to be official police business,...js.

They'll always claim it was.....js