State Police To Crack Down On Distracted Driving

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month and the New York State Police have announced a statewide crackdown on distracted driving. Operation Hang Up is a special enforcement effort to step up patrols and checkpoints targeting drivers on electronic devices through April 10.

State Police said tickets for cell phone use continue to decline, but the proliferation of smartphones have caused texting tickets to rise every year since 2011.

Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and concealed identity traffic enforcement vehicles as part of the operation to more easily identify motorists who are using handheld devices while driving.

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The unmarked vehicles allow troopers to better observe distracted driving violations by blending in with every day traffic, but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lights are activated.

State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said that cell phone use and texting are responsible for a significant proportion of traffic crashes, injuries and deaths.

“If you’re texting, you’re not driving,” he said. “While the New York State Police enforces New York’s hand-held cell phone and electronic device laws at all times, troopers will crack down on violators during the Operation Hang Up campaign.”

During last year’s campaign, State Police issued more than 18,000 tickets, including more than 2,000 tickets for distracted driving. The tickets written were a combination of talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device, texting or using an electronic device while driving.

The penalties for distracted drivers under current state law are:

• For a first offense, the minimum fine is $50 and the maximum is $200.
• A second offense in 18 months increases the maximum fine to $250.
• A third offense in 18 months results in a maximum fine of $450.
• Probationary and junior drivers face a 120-day suspension of their license for a first offense, and one year revocation of their permit or license if a second offense is committed within six months.

Patch file photo.