‘Zombie Drivers’ Beware: Costly Tickets Coming

How much does it cost to fight a zombie attack?

Will $159 do? Maybe $279?

Officials are hoping a simple warning is enough to combat zombie drivers—the inattentive motorists riveted to their cell phones instead of the road, putting others' safety in jeopardy.

“No text message or phone call is worth the risk of serious injury—or much worse,” Brian Kelly, acting secretary of the Business, Transportation & Housing Agency, said in an announcement about the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign. “Always keep your eyes on the road and hands off your phone while driving.”

If a warning won't do, law enforcement officers across the state—including in San Diego—are ready to hand out costly tickets during a month-long campaign against distracted driving in April.

A first-time handheld cell phone violation will cost $159; after that, the price goes up to $279. Last year, the California Department of Motor Vehicles reported nearly 450,000 handheld cell phone and texting convctions, according to the campaign announcement. In April 2012, officers issued more than 57,000 such tickets.

"Enforcement is just one part of this campaign,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a statement. “The larger goal is educating motorists about the dangers of distracted driving and encouraging them to change their behavior behind the wheel. This effort is not about how many citations law enforcement officers can issue, but how many lives are ultimately saved because motorists made the right choice to focus their attention on the road, free of distraction.”

An estimated 3,331 people nationwide died in distracted driving collisions in 2011, according to the announcement.

April's enforcement campaign is a group effort by the California Office of Traffic Safety, CHP and more than 200 law enforcement agencies across the state.

Tips to avoid "zombie-like distracted driving behaviors":

• Turn off your phone and/or put it out of reach while driving.
• Include in your outgoing message that you can’t answer while you are driving.
• Don’t call or text anyone at a time when you think they may be driving.
• Adjust controls and set your song playlist before you set out on the road.
• Stay alert and keep your mind on the task of driving; often after a long day at work or a not-so-restful night’s sleep, people’s minds can wander when behind the wheel. If you find yourself daydreaming, clear your head and focus on the road.

How often do you see distracted drivers on the road? What do you think should be done to stop them?