Governor Getting Tough on Texting While Driving

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that 330 of the 816 tickets given over the Thanksgiving holiday were for texting while driving.

NEW YORK—Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that 330 of the 816 tickets given over the Thanksgiving holiday were for texting while driving.  “Operation Hang-Up” was an enhanced enforcement campaign against handheld device usage over Nov. 23-27, and the governor says these high numbers show that stricter laws are necessary. The initiative was funded by a Distracted Driving Enforcement Grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and allowed for additional patrol resources. Since the law against using handheld devices while driving was signed in July, over 1,000 tickets have been issued each month. “Operation Hang-Up is designed to send a clear message to drivers that New York State will not tolerate distracted driving that places other motorists in danger,” said Barbara Fiala, Commissioner of the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.