Auto Accidents: You Too Can Earn A New Job By Texting While Driving

Kudos to the Austin Police Department for a new initiative that they’re launching this week.

Between now and the end of school, the police department will place plain clothes officers around schools throughout the city to look out for drivers texting in school zones (which I hope you all know by now is illegal) and for those speeding in school zones. The plain clothes officer will then radio other officers to make the stops.

But the more innovative approach to the new initiative is that the police department will start offering alternatives to paying the fine. For example, an offender may choose to serve as a crossing guard (the new job, I referenced in the title) or make a presentation to a parent teacher organization about the dangers of distracted driving.

I don’t know what effect the initiative will have, but I’m all for the Austin Police Department doing whatever they can to protect all of our children.