ALBANY – State lawmakers in Albany on Wednesday passed a new law cracking down on young drivers who are caught texting and driving.
Under the new legislation approved by the state Senate and Assembly, drivers with permits and probationary and junior licenses will face a 60-day suspension for a first offense when caught texting or talking on a handheld cell phone while driving. A second offense within six months would revoke a probationary license for six months and a junior license for 60 days. The traffic violations already carry fines and the new penalty applies to any kind of cell phone activity while driving.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said he felt the law is necessary, saying spends a lot of time in a car and he sees people texting while driving every day. New York reported the number of cell phone-related crashes more than doubled from 2005 to 2011.
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