In Maryland, if the drivers caught with cellphones while driving then they have to pay fines of anywhere from $75 to $175 dollars in a tiered system.

But a Maryland lawmaker says that the $175 maximum is not cutting it when it comes to getting drivers to keep their hands off their cellphones while driving.

Del. Frank Turner is proposing a repeal of the tiered system in favor of a penalty which could go as high as $500 dollars. At a hearing before the Maryland House Environment and Transportation Committee this week, Turner said that people have not gotten the message. “I see it all the time as I drive down the street — people are using their cellphones.”

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Turner said that the data tells the story: Last year, more than 41,000 drivers were cited for using a hand held device while they are driving. In the year 2014, the number was closer to 38,000 drivers cited. Noting the upward trend in the number, Turner said, “It’s going in the wrong direction.”

There are exemptions for using the phone behind the whee, for example when dialing 911, or calling to the hospital in an emergency. First-responders are also exempt from this law.

But Turner said that it might surprise Marylanders to hear who has been cited for violating the law: 56 tickets were written to school bus drivers for using the hand held devices while driving. Turner said that, “I hope this will send the message: Get off the phone while you’re driving.”

By Mrudula.