1,100 cited in distracted driving campaign

Do you TXT MSG behind the wheel while driving?

Well, @TEOTD -- at the end of the day -- authorities say that's dangerous.

A recent initiative to crack down on distracted driving -- drivers who text or talk on hand-held cellphones while driving -- saw more than 1,100 summonses issued, Suffolk police said.

OMG!

Between July 31 and Aug. 6, police wrote 1,109 tickets for cellphone-related violations and more than 1,600 tickets for other violations. Seventy-eight drivers also were arrested.

"We are hopeful that the success of this initiative changed drivers' behaviors regarding cellphone use while driving," Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said in a statement. "By limiting the use of cellphones while driving, we can all make Suffolk roads safer."

SWDYT?

Police said the goal of the initiative was to change driving behavior, and said that recent changes to state law now makes it illegal for drivers not to just use a hand-held cellphone or to text while driving, but to hold any electronic device while behind the wheel.

Police and law enforcement officials said they hope to reduce the number of accidents by reducing instances of drivers using these devices.

Studies have found that talking on a cellphone or texting while driving is more dangerous than driving drunk.

In a statement, Suffolk police Commissioner Richard Dormer pledged to have officers continue to crack down on violators.

"Distracted driving is a real danger to everyone who travels our roadways," Dormer said. "By picking up a cellphone while driving, you are putting yourself and others at risk."

B4N.