$20 fine is a joke. Take away their license for a year. Let's stop
coddling these deadly psychopaths.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/chp-cracksdown-distracted-drivers.html
CHP crackdown includes drivers who eat behind the wheel
December 29, 2011 | 7:56 am
As part of a crackdown on distracted drivers, the California Highway
Patrol is not just looking for people illegally talking or texting on
their cellphones.
Officials also will be on the lookout for those who are eating while
driving. And if you're reading magazines or applying makeup, they'll
also be looking for you.
From 6 a.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday, the CHP is having a “zero
tolerance” cellphone enforcement day.
Although there is no law saying someone can't eat while driving, a
distracted driver is in violation of the law.
Under California’s vehicle code, a driver can be ticketed $145 to
$1,000 for having “wanton disregard for the safety of persons or
property.” Officers will also be tracking these distractions and the
number of distracted drivers, because there are not very good data on
just how many distracted drivers there are.
Tickets for cellphone violations are $20 for the first offense and $50
for the second. But with court costs and other fees, the total cost of
a ticket is more than $100.
Since California’s law requiring hands-free devices took effect in
2008, the CHP has written 518,161 citations statewide. They have
written 11,634 tickets for texting while driving.