NYPD To Crack Down On Distracted Driving

The New York City Police Department announced late last week that it will be cracking down enforcement on drivers using their cell phones behind the wheel in the city.

The New York Distracted Driving, Talking and Texting Law, passed in December 2001 and most recently updated in July 2009, makes it illegal for motorists in the state of New York to use a cell phone while driving, unless the phone is hands-free.

The crackdown will be 24 hours, beginning at midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 26. It is part of a department-wide initiative that has been investigating and trying to prevent auto accidents that result in fatalities. Distracted driving, the department said, has been a huge problem on that front.

"The NYPD reminds all New Yorkers that the use of a hand-held cell phone while driving a vehicle is illegal," the department's communications office said in a statement. "In addition, driving while texting or talking on a cell phone is dangerous and endangers both drivers and pedestrians."

Fines for distracted driving — specifically using a cell phone or portable electronic device behind the wheel — can be up to $130. Last year, the NYPD issued more than 600 summonses a day to drivers who were violating the law. On July 22, 2009, during a crackdown initiative nearly identical to the event planned for Tuesday, more than 6,000 tickets were handed out. The event will begin Tuesday at 12 a.m. and last until 12 a.m. on Wednesday.