Tougher penalties for distracted driving move forward in DC

Tougher penalties for distracted driving move forward in DC

The DC Council has moved ahead with a bill that would toughen penalties for driving while using a cell phone, reports the Washington Post. The measure would impose stiffer fines for repeat offenders and temporarily suspend the personês driverês license after the third offense within 18 months.

But the bill, set for a final vote next month, would not have funds for enforcement until 2020. Another problem is that police do not yet have the ability to check previous offenses on the spot.

Under the current version of the bill, a driver would pay $100 for the first offense, $150 for the second and $200 for the third. Third-time offenders could have their license suspended for 30 to 90 days.

DC handed out 100,000 distracted driving tickets between 2004 and 2014, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.