New York GTSC Reports 54,000+ Tickets in Operation Hang Up Distracted Driving Crackdown
New York’s ongoing campaign against distracted driving is yielding results. On April 29, 2026, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) announced that law enforcement officers issued more than 54,000 tickets during “Operation Hang Up,” a weeklong mobilization focused on catching drivers who were talking or texting behind the wheel. During the April 6–13 enforcement period, troopers and local police wrote 7,190 tickets for distracted driving and 1,543 tickets for impaired driving, along with thousands more for speeding, seat belt violations and other traffic infractions.
Operation Hang Up coincides with Distracted Driving Awareness Month and is part of New York’s broader efforts to reduce crashes caused by cell phone use and other distractions. “Distracted driving kills or injures thousands of New Yorkers every year, and we have zero tolerance for it,” said DMV Commissioner and GTSC Chair Mark J. F. Schroeder. Schroeder thanked the law enforcement agencies that participated in the mobilization and urged drivers to keep their eyes on the road. “No text or call is more important than a life,” he said. The crackdown is modeled on other high‑visibility enforcement campaigns, such as “Click It or Ticket,” which pair roadside patrols with public education to deter dangerous behavior.
According to the University at Albany’s Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research, driver distraction contributed to more than 67,000 police‑reported crashes in New York in 2024. Those crashes resulted in 123 deaths and more than 25,000 injuries. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that distracted drivers were involved in approximately 3,200 fatalities and over 315,000 injuries in 2024. With cell phones and onboard entertainment systems making it easy to look away from the road, the GTSC reminds motorists that state law prohibits handheld phone use while driving. Violators face fines, surcharges and points on their license.
Safety officials offered several strategies to avoid distraction behind the wheel: place your phone in the glove box or trunk while driving, use “Do Not Disturb” settings that silence calls and texts, or ask a passenger to handle any urgent communications. Drivers should also program navigation systems and playlists before leaving and take breaks if they need to eat or drink. Schroeder emphasized that these choices not only keep drivers within the law but can prevent tragedies. “Every ticket issued during Operation Hang Up represents a potential crash avoided,” he noted.
The GTSC plans to conduct similar enforcement efforts throughout the year. Officers will continue to watch for texting, handheld phone use, impaired driving and other violations that put road users at risk. With distracted driving contributing to a significant portion of serious crashes, New York officials hope that education, enforcement and personal responsibility will combine to make the state’s roads safer for everyone.