The citywide 24-hour crackdown will begin tomorrow at midnight, as police officers will be on the lookout for drivers who text or talk on a cell phone.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --- The NYPD is once again targeting drivers who illegally use hand-held cell phones while driving, it was announced this evening.
The citywide 24-hour crackdown will begin tomorrow night at midnight, as police officers will be on the lookout for drivers who text or talk on a cell phone -- a dangerous habit that endangers both drivers and pedestrians.
Those snagged in the enforcement dragnet could face a fine of $130, police said.
A similar initiative carried out earlier this year on Jan. 21 resulted in 7,485 summonses being issued, according to NYPD statistics.
And, Advance records show three identical ticket blitz operations were held last year on Oct. 22 -- 7,529 summonses; Aug. 20 -- 7,432 summonses, and March 12 -- 8,797 summonses.
During 2009, the NYPD says it averaged 617 summonses a day to drivers using hand-held cell phones.
That number is up significantly from 2008, when the NYPD issued, on average, 536 summonses a day for illegal cell phone use by automobile operators.
On Staten Island, authorities typically write between 9,000 and 10,000 cell phone tickets a year, according to state Department of Motor Vehicle statistics.
The NYPD is imploring borough residents to drive safely, buckle their seatbelts and use hands-free devices for car phones.
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