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YAPHANK, NY — The Suffolk County Sheriff’s office is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the national “Put the Phone Away or Pay” high-visibility enforcement effort during Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

From April 4th to 8th, the office will be joining law enforcement agencies across the state to conduct enhanced enforcement of texting and distracted-driving laws.

Nearly 32,483 people died in distraction-affected crashes over the 10-year period from 2011 to 2020, according to the NHTSA. In 2022, there were 330,842 deaths linked to driver distraction and an additional 289,310 people injured in traffic crashes involving distracted driving, statistics show.

Sheriff Toulon said that distracted driving is a leading cause of vehicle crashes on our county’s roads, and most of this distraction is attributed to texting while driving.

“Beginning this week, our deputy sheriffs will be further increasing efforts to stop drivers from distracted driving. If you text and drive in Suffolk County, we will pull you over and you will be fined.”

Upon conviction of a second violation, both within 18 months, the fine is between 50 and 250 dollars as well as five points, and a third conviction, all within an 18-month period, can generate a fine between 50 and 450 dollars, as well as five points.

Many drivers are guilty of a double standard when it comes to distracted driving, Toulon’s office says.

In its 2022, Traffic Safety Culture Index, the AAA Foundation reported that while nearly 93 percent of drivers believed it was very or extremely dangerous to read a text or email while driving, nearly 40 percent of drivers admitted to doing so within the previous 30 days.

Toulon and the NHTSA are urging drivers to put their phones away when behind the wheel, saying anyone who needs to text should pull over and not drive while doing so.

Here’s some steps for a safe driving:

• If you are expecting a text message or need to send one, pull over and park your car in a safe location. Once you are safely off the road and parked, it is safe to text.
• Ask your passenger to be your designated texter. Allow them access to your phone to respond to calls or messages.
• Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving.
• Cell phone use is habit-forming. Struggling to not text and drive? Activate your phone’s Do Not Disturb feature, or put your phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of your vehicle until you arrive at your destination.

Texting while driving is dangerous and illegal. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving.