With April's designation as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, state police in St. Lawrence County in marked and unmarked vehicles will be concentrating on giving tickets to drivers using handheld devices such as smartphones while behind the wheel between April 10 and April 15.

“Too many times we have seen the heartbreaking consequences of distracted driving, and with this crackdown we are once again sending the message that making calls or texting behind the wheel will not be tolerated in New York," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced the campaign, called Operation Hang Up. “I urge all drivers to put the device down and concentrate on the road,” he said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,154 people were killed and 424,000 were injured nationwide in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2013. Additionally, 10 percent of all fatal accidents involved a driver who was identified as distracted at the time of the crash.

New York State law includes the following penalties for distracted drivers:

· first offense, the minimum fine is $50 and the maximum is $200

· second offense in 18 months increases the maximum fine to $250

· third offense in 18 months results in a maximum fine of $450

Probationary and junior drivers face a 120-day suspension of their license for a first offense, and one year revocation of their permit or license if a second offense is committed within six months.

Operation Hang Up is a special enforcement effort to step up patrols and checkpoints. Troopers will be using both marked and unmarked vehicles -- what the state police call Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement vehicles -- to find motorists who are using handheld electronic devices while driving. Troopers say unmarked vehicles allow them to better observe distracted driving violations, since these vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lights go on.

During the last campaign last Nov. 26 to 30, state police issued more than 550 tickets statewide for distracted driving, citing violations of talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving, texting, or using an electronic device while driving.

New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico said, “Driving while using a cell phone or other electronic device is a serious violation and will not be permitted in New York State. No message or call is worth another person’s life. State Troopers will not hesitate to give tickets to drivers who don't heed this simple message.”