ALBANY — U drive, u text, u pay.
Police issued nearly four times more texting-while-driving tickets to motorists in the year since a law aimed at cracking down on the dangerous practice took effect, according to statistics released by Gov. Cuomo’s office yesterday.
In the Big Apple’s four most populous boroughs, the number of tickets skyrocketed to 11,182, up from 1,839 the year before, while more than 20,000 tickets were issued statewide.
The statewide figure is a more than fourfold increase over the prior year’s 4,569, the numbers show.
The law that took effect July 12, 2011, gives police the power to stop motorists solely for using a handheld electronic device for texting and other activities. It also increases penalties from two points to three points on a driver’s license and carries a potential $150 fine.
Cuomo’s office cites statistics saying texting drivers are four times more likely to crash.