Texting While Behind the Wheel? Sheriffs Are Looking for You

As part of April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will be cracking down on texting while driving in Industry.

The current minimum ticket cost is $159, with subsequent tickets costing at least $279, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's data.

Last April, over 57,000 tickets were written statewide for texting and hand-held cell use. There were nearly 450,000 convictions in 2012, officials said.

"Distracted driving is a serious traffic safety concern that puts everyone on the road at risk," Los Angeles Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker said in a statement. "In recent years, hundreds have been killed and thousands seriously injured in California as a result of collisions that involved at least one driver who was distracted."

Nationally, an estimated 3,331 died in 2011 due to distracted driving, Parker wrote.