Guess How Many Hand Held Cell Phone Tickets Were Written So Far?

232. That is 232 people around our state that figured either the law didn't apply to them, or they forgot, or who knows what the reasons were for not complying... but it happened. Honestly though, I don't think anyone could easily justify that they didn't know about it. I also suppose it's possible someone didn't know the exact date, but the word was out.

As far back as August, State Police were letting people know that they'd be writing tickets on the very first day. But according to the Portland Press Herald, tickets are being written at a faster pace than was initially expected. At the rate they're going, authorities will have written over 1800 tickets by the end of June, 2020.

That number is almost a thousand tickets higher than analysts predicted would be written. At this pace, the state stands to make some serious cash too. The fine is $50 a pop, plus fees, totaling $85. Subsequent violations can fetch up to $325. By 2021, the state could be hauling in as much half a million dollars in new transportation budget money.

Over time, however, those numbers will likely stabilize. For instance, when the seat belt law went into effect years ago, police were writing tickets left and right. Fast forward to today, and authorities hardly ever write seat belt violations. It just takes a bit of time to totally take hold.

But the real issue here is that folks will just have to suck it up and put their phones down. There are all sorts of ways to use a phone without your hands, and most cars can do almost all the work for you these days. So just put it down, and look in front of you. It's safer for everybody, right?