ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo is reminding teen drivers and their parents about the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of practicing safe driving habits as part of National Teen Driver Awareness Week. As of January 2013, there are 331,000 drivers between the ages of 16 to 19 in New York.
Combined with efforts that include recently passed distracted driving laws, a summer crackdown on distracted driving, and monitoring services for parents, the Governor said this national awareness campaign can help keep teens and others safe on New York’s roads.
According to state officials, Statistics show that motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of 16- to 24-year olds, and the majority of crashes occur during the first six months of licensed driving. Governor Cuomo said that when coupled with inexperience, dangerous practices like texting-while-driving, speeding or driving under the influence can lead to irreversible and terrible consequences.
This past July, Governor Cuomo signed legislation to impose the same penalties on drivers with probationary and junior licenses for texting-while-driving and using a hand-held cell phone that they receive for speeding and reckless driving: 60-day suspensions for first convictions, and revocations of 60 days (for junior licenses) or 6 months (for probationary licenses) for subsequent convictions within 6 months of the time a license is restored after suspension.
In June, the Governor directed the DMV to increase the number of points charged against an individual’s driving record upon conviction for texting-while-driving and cell-phone related infractions from three points to five points for drivers of all ages.
For safe driving tips and information for teens and their parents, visit the website of the Office for the Younger Driver at dmv.ny.gov/youngerdriver/. More information can also be found by visiting dmv.ny.gov and www.safeny.ny.gov.
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