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State and local law enforcement agencies have been running enforcement details for months, including several for distracted drivers on major county roadways. On Tuesday, troopers dished out a total of 54 tickets during the targeted enforcement period.
In January, the Yonkers Police Department busted more than 20 motorists using electronic devices while behind the wheel during their own enforcement detail. Similar details have been held in Yorktown, on the Taconic State Parkway and the Saw Mill Parkway.
According to police, in 2015, distracted drivers claimed 3,477 lives and nearly 400,000 people were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers. One in every four accidents in the nation are caused by texting and driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Nobody likes getting a ticket, but the safety of our residents, pedestrians, and other drivers is top priority. Cell phones and other electronic devices contribute to driver distraction and inattention,” Yonkers police officials stated. “Pay attention to the road and other drivers, not your phone. That text message is not more important than your life or anyone else's, it can wait.”
It is estimated that nearly 700,000 people use a cellphone while driving in America each day. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, a crash is four times as likely if a driver is distracted, whether it’s on a hands-free device or not.
“When driving at 55mph, you can blindly travel the entire length of a football field just by taking your eyes off the road for a mere 5 seconds,” ASK Director of Communications and Partnerships Erica Stanzione stated. “Enforcement and education around driving safety is one of our top priorities, especially our ‘STOP TXTING U R DRIVING’ initiative. We are thankful to YPD for their continued enforcement and to State Farm for helping us spread awareness about this dangerous behavior.”
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