By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Keep those hands on the wheel.
Governor Paterson introduced a bill to the New York legislature Wednesday that would make it a primary traffic offense to text message while driving.
The offense is currently a secondary violation, meaning a motorist can't be stopped for texting while driving alone.
"This bill will take the handcuffs off our law enforcement officers and make our highways safer by allowing officers to observe a violation and immediately issue a summons," Paterson said in a statement.
The governor's office cited a Nationwide Insurance study that said 20 percent of all drivers and 66 percent of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 sent texts from behind the wheel.