Incentive to nab yakkers, texters

Giving police a carrot along with the stick may help reduce Connecticut's distracted-driver problems.

Despite ample evidence that proves talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous, and texting is tantamount to inviting a crash, drivers can't seem to put their phones away.

So lawmakers are considering jacking up the existing fine for using a cell phone without a hands-free device and making texting subject to the same penalties - then giving cities and towns back 25 percent of the ticket money their police departments impose.

Police have much to do, and cracking down on errant phone users is not always the top priority. But given a financial incentive - funneling money collected from fines back to the police to use for further enforcement - it could help change patterns of behavior and enforcement with towns motivated to crack down on this dangerous form of communication.

Drivers should be concentrating on driving, not yakking. Texting, which requires the use of eyes and fingers, is more irresponsible. It not only places the safety of the texter at high risk, but everyone else on the road as well.

If the legislation clears all hurdles, police would fine first-time offenders $100 (no more warnings); second-time violators, $150; and $200 for all subsequent infractions. Coupled with a moving violation like speeding, the cellphone/texting penalty would jump to $500, plus the moving-violation fine.

Pass that legislation quick.