New Crackdown Planned For Distracted Driving

State law enforcement officials are cracking down on distracted drivers in the Garden State announcing a new undercover police operation focusing on drivers who talk and text behind the wheel, a broadcast report said.

Authorities told CBS 2 Monday that drivers need to be made aware of the dangers involved with the practice.

“It appears they’re not getting the message,” Cpl. Dennis Kardos of the North Plainfield Police Department said in the broadcast.” Last year we lost 3,300 lives across the country.”

Currently, New Jersey drivers face a $130 ticket for distracted driving, the report said, but under a new bill being considered in the state Legislature, those fines could increase to $200 to $400 for a first offense and $600 to $800 plus three points and a loss of license for a third offense.

“Your mind comes off the road and your eyes, it’s as bad as drinking and driving,” Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano told the station.