State Police plan to crack down on a driving offense that led to over 3 thousand deaths in 2016.

On Monday, New York State Police announced a statewide crackdown on distracted driving. From Thursday, April 12 to Monday, April 16 troopers in marked and unmarked vehicles will aggressively ticket drivers using handheld devices during Operation Hang Up, police say.

The crackdown is part of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,450 people were killed in distraction-related crashes in the U.S. in 2016.

Current New York State law includes the following penalties for distracted drivers:

  • For a first offense, the minimum fine is $50 and the maximum is $200
  • A second offense in 18 months increases the maximum fine to $250
  • A third offense in 18 months results in a maximum fine of $450
  • Probationary and junior drivers face a 120-day suspension of their license for a first offense, and one-year revocation of their permit or license if a second offense is committed within six months.

During last year’s distracted driving crackdown state police issued over 2,000 tickets in six days.

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