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Fairfax County Police Hope For Broader Distracted Driving Laws

By: Michael Pope // January 13, 2011
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In Virginia, Fairfax County police are cracking down on distracted driving. And they are also lobbying for tougher laws in Richmond.

The charge Fairfax cops use to go after distracted driving is failure to pay full time and attention -- a citation that has more than quadrupled in the last five years. Captain Susan Culin says her officers can also write tickets for texting while driving, but that isn't so easy.

"There's really no easy way for the officer to tell -- other than if perhaps the driver would give an honest answer. And not too many drivers out there are going to say, 'Yes officer, I was texting,'" Culin says.

That's why she's hoping that lawmakers in Richmond will strengthen the rules when the general assembly session begins later this week, broadening the offense from texting to any use of a hand-held communication device.

Michael Pope also reports for Northern Virginia's Connection Newspapers.

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