Cuomo Orders Crackdown on Distracted Driving Under 'Operation Hang Up'

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will crack down on distracted driving, the Democrat said in a Thursday news release. Under “Operation Hang Up,” Thursday through Monday, the state will increase patrols and checkpoints targeting drivers on electronic devices, Cuomo’s office said in a news release. Troopers will ride marked state police vehicles and concealed traffic enforcement vehicles, it said. New York issued more than 92,000 tickets for texting while driving in 2016 -- a 918 percent increase from 2011 -- based on preliminary 2016 statistics. Tickets for cellphone calls dropped by more than half to 113,116, and tickets for texting and calling combined dropped 20 percent to 205,213 in 2016, the governor’s office said. “Distracted driving is dangerous and illegal” and “making calls or texting behind the wheel will not be tolerated,” Cuomo said. “State Police and local law enforcement will be out in force to ensure our roadways are safe, and I urge all drivers to act responsibly and put their devices down to prevent tragedy and heartbreak.”