You may want to think twice before picking up your cell phone while driving along the Beltway. A new crackdown on texting in Washington, D.C., construction zones went into effect Monday.
The campaign is called, “Orange Cones, No Phones.”
Fairfax County police and other local law enforcement officials vow to treat cell phone offenders as seriously as drunken drivers.
“When a vehicle is making those small maneuvers within a line and swerving and breaking inappropriately … we are going to stop that vehicle and find out what is causing it,” said Capt. Susan Culin.
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A new study released Monday by AAA Mid-Atlantic reveals more than half of all D.C.-area drivers admit to using a cell phone behind the wheel. One in four drivers on the Beltway admit to reading or writing a text message.
“Let me warn you, if you drive the Beltway in Virginia and you feel comfortable doing so and you think you’re safe, think again,” said Lon Anderson, director of public relations for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Starting Thursday, texting while driving will be illegal in Maryland. It is already against the law in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
