Wisconsin Texting While Driving Ban Results in Few Tickets

Law enforcement officers have issued few tickets for texting while driving since Wisconsin passed a law banning it.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Sunday that state transportation records show that state troopers cited only five drivers for texting from January through March.

That compares with almost 10,000 speeding tickets troopers wrote the first three months of the year. After the law took effect in December, the State Patrol gave drivers a one-month grace period.

Law enforcement officials tell the Journal Sentinel the number of citations is small because it’s hard to tell if a driver is actually texting.

On Friday, the Milwaukee County sheriff’s office said a driver who slammed a squad Thursday on I-43 will face a charge of texting while driving, plus drunken and inattentive driving charges.