By Police1 Staff
NEW YORK — In an expanded effort to crack down on motorists who text while driving, more officers are being assigned to patrol in special unmarked vehicles that sit higher than normal vehicles to spot people violating the law more easily.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo enforced a $1 million initiative that seeks to catch drivers in the act of texting or using their phone behind the wheel, according to ABC.
Cuomo has increased the penalty for distracted driving from three to five points on a driver’s license. In New York, 11 points can be grounds to revoke or suspend a license. The governor also signed legislation to increase license suspension and revocation periods for distracted driving for young and new drivers.
State Trooper Joe Izzo took to the road to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new vehicles, and pulled over four drivers for using their phones within an hour.
Cuomo says his goal is to change people’s behavior while driving to save lives, though that change may not come quickly.