The New York State Police are joining a nationwide initiative to address distracted driving during April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Troopers will implement a targeted enforcement campaign — Operation Hang Up — running from today, April 7 through Monday, April 14, 2025. The campaign aims to reduce risky behaviors by increasing patrols and setting up checkpoints focused on identifying drivers using electronic devices.
Law enforcement will deploy both traditional marked vehicles and specialized Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles. These unmarked cars are designed to blend in with traffic while giving troopers an improved vantage point for spotting violations. Once activated, however, they reveal their status as emergency vehicles.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlights the urgency of the campaign, with 3,308 fatalities in the U.S. attributed to distraction-related crashes in 2022.
During last year’s enforcement week in April 2024, New York State Police issued a total of 21,768 citations, including 4,056 specifically for distracted driving.
To help reduce such incidents, the NHTSA advises drivers to avoid texting while driving by pulling over safely, assigning a passenger to handle messages, or placing the phone out of reach, such as in the trunk.
New York State law enforces escalating fines for distracted driving. The first offense carries a fine between $50 and $200. A second violation within 18 months increases the maximum fine to $250, while a third offense within the same period raises it to $450. Young or probationary drivers face even stricter consequences, including a 120-day license suspension for a first offense and a one-year revocation for a second offense within six months.
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