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New York unveils 'text stops' to curb crashes by distracted drivers

New York unveils 'text stops' to curb crashes by distracted drivers

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You're probably familiar with highway rest stops, but drivers might soon be seeing something a little less ordinary along the road: text stops. New York plans to establish 91 "Texting Zones" along state highways, encouraging drivers to wait until they can safely pull off the road to respond to a text message. The signs will read "Text Stop" and "It can wait," and both will note how far away the nearest texting zone, rest stop, or parking area is that drivers can pull off at. The initiative is more marketing and awareness than a big undertaking, as it largely rebrands existing rest points by simply plopping down a sign.

Companies and governments have been attacking texting while driving from all sides of late, be it through legislation, ad campaigns, or hands-free communication tools. In addition to this latest initiative, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has also signed legislation this year that increases the point penalty and the license suspension and revocation periods for distracted driving. "New York State is continuing to use every tool at its disposal to combat texting-while-driving," Governor Cuomo says in a statement. "We are sending a clear message to drivers that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road because your text can wait until the next Texting Zone."