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NYPD Cell Phone Crackdown Beats August Ticket Blitz
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 27, 2009
Modified Oct 27, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 27, 2009
Modified Oct 27, 2009
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The 24-hour crackdown on drivers using handheld electronic devices ended last Friday at midnight with 7,529 tickets issued. That total edges out the number of tickets issued in August (7,432) but still falls short of the record 9,016 tickets written during the March sting. Is the NYPD phoning it in, or are New Yorkers getting the message?
On a typical day, the NYPD writes about 540 tickets to drivers using portable electronic devices while driving. According to City Room, last year a total 197,198 tickets were given to drivers for similar violations. The fine is $130 ($200 for cabbies), and starting November 1st, drivers can be fined $150 for text-messaging; though a ticket can only be issued as a secondary offense, when a driver gets pulled over for another violation.
Nevertheless, it looks like the NYPD is starting the text-message crackdown early; one driver told us he got ticketed for merely checking the time on his iPhone—while stopped at a red light!
Tagged
cell phone
nyc
nypd
sting
texting and driving
texting ban
ticketing
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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