By: ABQRAW staff
Posted: 5/25/2023 @ 10:30AM
Albuquerque, NM – For those 16 or 17 stubborn savages who still resort to holding a phone to your ear and then proceed to talk on it like a human being to another human being watch out! APD has announced when they aren’t going call to call, or doing the hundreds of other things they are tasked with daily they will be actively looking to cite those who are holding a cell phone in their hand while driving. We have been told for years that city ordinances and state laws prohibit cell phone use while driving unless you are doing it hands free. Sadly many people just don’t care about certain laws and drive around distracted smashing into other drivers, pedestrians, and sometimes trees and structures killing each other and many innocent people.
APD has released the following: Due to an increase in distracted driving throughout the city, the Albuquerque Police Department will begin targeted enforcement looking for cell phone related infractions.
The operations will begin Saturday May 27th and will run through Friday June 2nd. The zero-tolerance operation will be conducted by APD’s Traffic Division and officers from the Field Services Bureau and they will be looking for violations in between calls for service.
Drivers will be cited for either 66-7-374 Texting While Driving and/or § 8-2-1-24 Driver’s Prohibited Acts. As stated, this is a zero-tolerance policy, therefore, any driver pulled over for a cell phone violation, will receive a ticket.
If an officer pulls over a driver for cell phone use and finds other infractions, the driver will also be cited for the additional violations.
“This is about improving the quality of life for the Albuquerque community, said Chief Harold Medina. “We began targeted operations with license plate violations, then red light runners and now cell phones, with the goal of increasing driver attention and to hopefully prevent fatal crashes.”
