Texting while driving to be focus of next week's national enforcement campaign by Suffolk sheriff, police
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office will join the national "U Drive. U Text. U Pay" campaign. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto/Tero Vesalainen
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office has a message for motorists: Don't text and drive.
That as the sheriff's office will join the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "U Drive. U Text. U Pay" campaign — a weeklong enforcement initiative.
"Distracted driving is a leading cause of vehicle crashes on our county's roads, and most of this distraction is attributed to texting while driving," Suffolk Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. said in a statement Friday. "If you text and drive in Suffolk County we will pull you over and you will be fined."
The campaign is slated to run April 3-10, with the Suffolk sheriff joining a host of other agencies statewide. Suffolk County Police said they would be participating in the weeklong national campaign.
"Distracted driving is a dangerous habit for drivers and puts everyone on our roadways at risk," Suffolk police said in a statement. "Suffolk County Police officers continuously monitor for motorists who utilize mobile devices while driving as well as engage in other forms of distracted driving."
Nassau County police said "they’re not involved in the actual campaign" next week. State Police did not immediately respond to inquiries asking if they were participating.
According to statistics from the Traffic Safety Culture Index, the AAA Foundation reported that although nearly 96% of all drivers believed it was "very or extremely dangerous" to read a text or email while driving, four out of 10 drivers surveyed admitted doing so within the past 30 days. But, the Suffolk sheriff said drivers should be aware doing so could be a very costly mistake.
A first-time violation involves a fine of $50 to $200 and five points on a driver's license.
A second violation within 18 months results in a fine of $50 to $250 and five points, while a third violation in an 18-month period results in another five points — and a fine of up to $450.
Advice from the sheriff's office:
- Pull over and park your car in a safe location to read or send a text.
- Ask a passenger to be the "designated texter."
- Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving.
- Activate your phone's "Do Not Disturb" feature or place your cellphone in the trunk, glove box or back seat until you reach your destination.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
