Study shows little enforcement of texting and driving law
APPLETON - A newspaper review finds a nearly year-old state law that bans drivers from sending text messages has been applied sparingly -- or not at all -- by police in the Fox Valley and elsewhere across Wisconsin.
The Post-Crescent's survey of 20 law enforcement agencies in Calumet, Outagamie, Waupaca and Winnebago counties found they have combined to issue just nine such citations.
Of the 20 departments, 15 haven't applied the texting-while driving law at all since it took effect on Dec. 1.
Statewide statistics paint a similar picture. State Patrol Capt. Nick Scorcio says Wisconsin's nearly 400 law enforcement agencies issued citations to only 162 drivers from last December through September.
The offense ranks 71st in terms of the number of traffic convictions this year.
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