Texting-While-Driving Tickets Rise Sharply

Since New York toughened its texting-while-driving law in July, the number of tickets issued by law enforcement has risen 43% through mid-September when compared to the year 2010.  The statistics were obtained by Gannett's Albany Bureau.

The previous law in 2009 made texting a secondary infraction. This meant police could only issue a ticket if a driver was pulled over for another offense.  Police in New York said they would see drivers who were texting, but couldn't pull people over for it unless they were committing another infraction. The rise in issued tickets is reportedly due to the new law that now permits police to pull over drivers specifically for texting.

A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute report in 2009 found that drivers who texted were 23 times more likely to get in a crash than those who did not.

A number of fatal crashes involving young adults in New York and the nation have been attributed to texting behind the wheel.

If a person is found guilty of the violation of texting-while-driving, they may have to pay a fine of up to $150.  There is also a penalty of 3 points on a license - the same as a speeding ticket. This law also requires a distracted-driving curriculum for people seeking a license.