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Cuomo stiffens texting while driving penalty

Photo from WNYC Radio

Governor Andrew Cuomo is stiffening the penalty for those who text while driving.  Drivers guilty of the dangerous practice will see the points on their licenses rise to five from the current level of three.  The change takes effect Saturday. 

Cuomo is also proposing a bill that would impose tougher sanctions on probationary and junior drivers for texting while driving.  Under his proposal, the licenses of young drivers guilty of texting would be suspended for 60 days.

"We want to catch them when they're young," Cuomo said.  "Maybe they'll learn, if they're lucky enough to get a second chance."

Cuomo said he spends a lot of time in a car and that he sees people texting while driving every day.