Police in a Cape May County town are cracking down on motorists who use their cellphones while driving. Beginning today through June 1, anyone caught texting or talking on a handheld cellphone while driving in Lower Township will receive a $133 ticket.
With spring in full swing and summer fast approaching, police say more people and more cars are expected to be in the Jersey Shore community, giving rise to the likelihood of violations.
“We’re going to be multiplying our population anywhere from three to four fold,” said Corporal David Fisher of the Lower Township Police Department. “So anytime you have an increase of traffic in that kind of capacity you’re definitely going to be increasing the traffic accidents.”
The cellphone crackdown appears to be working statewide as the number of violations has decreased in New Jersey over the years. According to the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts, 115,868 cell phone violations were issued in 2009, 111,392 in 2010 and 90,709 in 2011.
NBC10 was there with police as they gave one man a ticket for driving while talking on his phone. The man drove away before NBC10 got the chance to speak with him. Police say he gave a surprising response when he received his ticket however.
“He said ‘thank you,’ it might have saved his life and that he’d be going to the courts to take care of the ticket today,” said Corporal Fisher.
As of 5 p.m. police have written 21 cellphone violation tickets. We’ll give you the latest number as day 1 of the cellphone crackdown comes to a close.
