Bumper Sticker You Can Be Proud Of

In El Paso, Texas, there is a sure fire way to get approved for ticket dismissal for distracted driving: get a bumper sticker.  Motorists who are cited for the first time for texting or talking on cell phones may now have their case dismissed only if they put a red and black “No Talking, No Texting” bumper sticker on their car.

The initiative, in the form of a city resolution, was presented to the City Council on Tuesday as part of a new No Talking-No Texting campaign being put together by municipal courts. The campaign is called Municipal Court Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

The fine for texting or talking on a cell phone while driving is $114, but the price may be higher — being involved in a deadly crash, Olivo said. In 2011, more than 81,000 vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers occurred in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

From April 1, 2010, when the ordinance became effective, to Dec. 31, 2011, the El Paso Police Department issued 15,422 tickets for using a cell phone while driving, said Richarda Duffy Momsen, the municipal clerk. During the same period, the city collected nearly $1 million in fines from cell phone violators, she said. (Courtesy El Paso Times)