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State Police Announce Crackdown on Distracted Driving
as Part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Published: April 05, 2022 at
02:30 p.m.
By: Media Release from New York State Police
State Police
announce crackdown on distracted driving
NEW YORK STATE POLICE
Major Michael S. TenEyck
Troop D Commander
PRESS RELEASE
The New York
State Police will participate in a national crackdown on distracted driving
as part of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The
enforcement effort, called Operation Hang Up, will include increased
patrols and checkpoints targeting drivers using electronic devices while
behind the wheel. This year’s enforcement detail will run from Monday,
April 4, through Monday, April 11.
Troopers will be
using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic
Enforcement (CITE) vehicles to more easily identify motorists who are using
handheld devices while driving. CITE vehicles allow the Trooper to better
observe distracted driving violations. These vehicles blend in with
everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the
emergency lighting is activated.
New York State
Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen
said, “Distracted Driving continues to be a leading factor in motor
vehicle crashes. Yet, the deaths and injuries caused by distracted driving
are 100 percent preventable. Drivers must be aware of their surroundings
and consciously reduce distractions and behaviors that take their attention
from the road. State Police will continue to work toward making New
York’s roads safer and we will hold distracted drivers accountable.”
According to
the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,142 people were
killed in the United States in distraction-affected crashes in 2020. To
help prevent more tragedies, NHTSA recommends the following for motorists:
- If you must send or receive a text, pull over
to a safe location and park your car first.
- If you have passengers, appoint a “designated
texter” to handle all your texting.
- If you can’t resist the temptation to look at
your phone, keep it in the trunk.
Current New York
State law includes the following penalties for distracted drivers:
- 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
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