By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — A citywide crackdown on drivers who use hand-held cell phones while driving will begin Thursday at midnight, the NYPD said.
Talking on a hand-held device while driving a vehicle is illegal in New York City, but that has not stopped many from engaging in the practice. When the NYPD conducted a similar initiative in January, 7,485 summonses were issued for the offense.
Police said in a statement that the crackdown is part of the NYPD’s “focus on traffic infractions linked to death and injury,” noting that both talking on the phone and texting while driving is dangerous to drivers and pedestrians.
An average of 617 summonses per day are issued to city drivers who violate the law, the NYPD said. Drivers face a $130 penalty for the infraction.
