Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York
announced yesterday that there are now 91 'Texting Zone' areas along New
York's major highways. 'Texting
and driving could cost someone their life, but these 'text stops' will
cost absolutely nothing to build as they already exist in the form
of rest stops and parking areas.
According
to an AT&T survey conducted earlier this year, 49 per cent of adult
drivers text while driving. In 2011, at least 23 per cent of car
accidents were cell phone related cell phones. That equals 1.3 million
crashes.
According to texting and driving statistics,
looking at one's cell phone for 5 seconds is equal to driving 55mph for
the length of an American football field without ever looking at the
road. Gov. Cuomo
announced that a total of 298 signs that read, 'It can wait,
Text Stop 5 miles,' will be positioned along New York State's busiest
roads.
'New York State
is continuing to use every tool at its disposal to combat
texting-while-driving,' Cuomo said in a release announcing the 'Text
Stop' plan. 'In addition to tougher penalties, new detection methods for
state police and ongoing public outreach efforts, we are now launching
special Texting Zones to allow motorists to pull over and use their
phones.'
Law Enforcement is cracking down on
texting and driving. Recent data shows that New York State police handed
out 21,580 tickets for distracted driving this summer compared to 5,208
in the same period a year earlier.
The
365 percent increase not only points to an increased crackdown, it also
points to the severity of the problem. Some people feel they really
'cant wait.'
Gov. Cuomo
said in his announcement yesterday, ' If you wait until you're in a rest
area or service area you literally could be saving someone's life and
that life could be your own.' He
added, 'With this new effort, we are sending a clear message to drivers
that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off
the road because your text can wait until the next 'Texting Zone.'
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