HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Our phones can be our biggest tool, and our worst distraction and that moment of distraction could come at a price. "It just happened this morning. I stopped somebody and told me they were watching a Tik Tok while they were driving, and they did receive a ticket for that," Officer David Broom with Huntsville Police department shares. "We want to know that you're in operation of a motor vehicle, that if you hit another vehicle because you're distracted, it could possibly kill somebody and that's something we want to prevent.
The City of Huntsville and Huntsville Police Department are urging caution during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. “Distracted driving is one of the causes of traffic accidents each day, and it’s a concern for our officers,” HPD Chief Kirk Giles said. “No text, email or selfie is more important than the lives of those we share the road with. If it can’t wait, safely pull into a parking lot to respond.”
Nine people per day are killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "A lot of the biggest distractions we see in Huntsville are people on their phones," Broom shares. "Obviously, we've seen people doing make up some people talking to other people in the car. I pulled many people over they tell me they're thinking about their day and not about driving like they should be."
Those distractions can also hurt your pocket. "Obviously, you get a ticket for texting while driving," Broom shares. "There's a ticket for if you're watching a video on your phone, you can't watch videos on your phone while you're driving."
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Fines and Points for Cell Phone Tickets in Alabama: Teens
An underage cellphone or texting ticket is considered a traffic violation. The penalties for a violation include $150 to $350 in fines, and two demerit points will be added to the motorist's driving record.
Fines and Points for Texting Tickets in Alabama: Over 18
A texting ticket carries a:
- $25 fine for a first violation
- $50 fine for a second violation, and
- $75 fine for a third or subsequent violation.
A texting violation will also add two points to the motorist's driving record.
Possible Charges Related to Distracted Driving
Depending on the circumstances, a texting or cellphone violation could also lead to a reckless driving conviction. And if one of these violations results in the death of another person, vehicular homicide charges are a possibility.
Huntsville Police has ways you can avoid these penalties or even worse. "Leave the house on time don't be in such a hurry to get somewhere," Broom shares. "If a text message does need to be sent, pull over to do that or have somebody else in the car send a text message for you. If something needs to be done in the car, don't do it while you're driving. i'll only focus on driving while you're in the car.