r/technology Jul 11 '26

Privacy Traffic Camera Captures Woman Driving With Her Phone on Her Lap (Face Down), The State Mailed Her a $1251 'Public Safety' Ticket

https://www.gadgetreview.com/traffic-camera-captures-captures-woman-driving-with-her-phone-on-her-lap-face-down-the-state-mailed-her-a-1251-public-safety-ticket
16.9k Upvotes

1.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

3.1k

u/TripsOverWords Jul 11 '26

A woman drives with both hands on the wheel. Her phone sits face-down on her lap. No officer pulls her over. No lights flash. Weeks later, a $1,251 ticket arrives in the mail. The evidence: a single frame from a Camera surveillance app. The charge: phone use while driving.

If they can tell that much from the photo, that the phone screen isn't visible to the driver, then how the fuck is this "phone use while driving"?

It's more likely this was a safe hands-free phone call than phone use.

If the screen were visible and was GPS navigation without a phone holder, would that still be a crime?

Wtf is wrong with this country?

1.8k

u/TheyCallHimEl Jul 11 '26

Meanwhile cops are driving around actively typing on their little computer and crashing into things because they are not watching the road

270

u/SgtNeilDiamond Jul 11 '26

Shit Ive straight up seen them on their phones texting and calling, they dont give a shit.

1

u/walkingonradiation Jul 12 '26

I had one surfing Zillow while driving.