93 Warnings, Tickets Issued During U Text. U Drive. U Lose Week

Ninety-three warnings and tickets were issued by Rhode Island State Police during the U Text. U Drive. U Lose. campaign last week. Running from April 8 through 15, the national highway safety initiative aims at cracking down on texting and driving.

Here in Rhode Island, 813 drivers were stopped by troopers over the course of the week. Of these drivers, 65 were ticketed for using a hand-held device and 28 were cited for texting while driving. Another three drivers were given tickets for using earphones or headsets.

"We hope this campaign sent a strong message to all motorists that we will not tolerate distracted driving on our roadways," State Police Colonel James Manni said. "This highway safety campaign may be over, but our troopers will continue to educate motorists as to the dangers of distracted driving and enforce all motor vehicle laws, especially those involving hand-held use of cell phones and/or or texting while driving."

According to the National Safety Council, at least nine people are killed and another 100 are injured every day in crashes caused by distracted driving, and approximately 660,000 people are using their phones while driving at any given time. For this reason, the National Highway Safety Administration has declared April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Throughout the U text. U Drive. U Lose. campaign, extra state police troopers were stationed on Rhode Island's roadways. Col. Manni said the goal of the campaign was not to issue more tickets, rather to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

"No phone call or text is worth the risk of injury or death," Col. Manni said. "We strongly encourage all motorists to put down their phones and drive safely, which will help make the roadways safer for all motorists."

Rhode Island's texting and driving laws ban the use of any handheld electronic device while driving, which is punishable by a fine of up to $100. Texting and driving holds a steeper punishment, with the potential for a license suspension of up to 30 days on top of the $100 fine. Headsets, earphones or other "listening devices" are also against the law for drivers, motorcyclists and bikers, with violations carrying a fine of up to $85.

READ MORE: RI State Police Stepping Up Texting And Driving Enforcement