| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 906 | 2008-11-13 | Troop A | Troopers Say Driving and Cell Phone Use Don’t Mix |
| LOUISIANA STATE POLICE COURTESY LOYALTY SERVICE Colonel Michael D. Edmonson, Superintendent TROOP A - NEWS RELEASE Troopers Say Driving and Cell Phone Use Don’t Mix BATON ROUGE – On November 13, 2008 at 11:45 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop A conducted a speeder and hazardous violation detail on Interstate 12 eastbound between Sherwood and Millerville Road. The focus of this detail was stopping people driving with excessive speed, following too closely, and improperly changing lanes. During the three hours of the detail, State Troopers realized an alarming trend. Over fifty percent of drivers stopped during this enforcement detail were distracted because of cell phone use. The results of the detail are as follows: 27 citations for Speeding 1 citation for Following Too Closely (18-wheeler) 4 citations for Expired Motor Vehicle Inspection Sticker 1 citation for Improper License Plate 1 citation for Driving Under Suspension 1 citation for No Insurance (plate seized and vehicle towed) Five Louisiana State Troopers issued 35 traffic citations to 27 drivers during this checkpoint. Troopers paid close attention to driver behavior before and during the traffic stops. Of the 27 drivers stopped, 14 were using a cell phone at the time. One driver passed through the enforcement detail at 75 miles per hour and never noticed she was being motioned to pull over. As she passed Troopers, they could see that she was either dialing or texting while driving. It took this driver almost a half mile to notice Troopers and pull over. “We are dedicated to protecting the lives of the motoring public and we will continue to perform these safety checkpoints and enforcement details”, said Captain Frank Ducote, Commander of Louisiana State Police Troop A. “This is a proven way to slow drivers down and make them pay closer attention to what is going on around them”, Captain Ducote added. Louisiana law prohibits text messaging by all drivers in the state and limits cell phone usage by novice drivers. Drivers can be fined up to $175 for violation of the new cell phone laws on the first offense and up to $500 for second and subsequent offenses. If it is determined that violation of these laws occurred during a traffic crash, the fines can be doubled. For more information contact: Tpr Russell G. Graham II Public Affairs Unit Louisiana State Police – Troop A Office: (225) 754-8524 russell.graham@dps.la.gov www.LSP.org | |||
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