Lethbridge Regional Police Service issued a total of 54 distracted driving tickets during the month of September.

In addition to the tickets issued, police estimate they delivered around double the amount of warnings to local drivers.

The province’s distracted driving legislation came into effect Sept.1, prohibiting drivers from distractions such as using mp3 players, texting, phone calls, reading, personal grooming and the entering of information on a GPS.

Despite a myriad of rumours about not being able to drink coffee, eat or smoke cigarettes while driving, police are not issuing tickets for those particular activities.

The penalty for violating the new law is $172. There are no demerit points issued to drivers who have been charged with being distracted.

Drivers are permitted to use a cellphone in hands-free mode. However, holding a phone and talking via speakerphone is not hands free and can result in a ticket.

The very act of holding a phone is a violation of the Traffic Safety Act.

In Calgary, city police officers have issued in the neighbourhood of 280 tickets.