Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed stricter penalties for texting while driving in New York. Drivers caught texting will now get five points on their license instead of three.

From 2005 to 2011, the number of crashes related to cell phone usage rose by 143 percent, while over the same period alcohol related crashes actually decreased by 18 percent.

In 2012, around 30,000 tickets were issued for texting while driving compared to 9,000 in 2011 and only about 183 in 2009.

Governor Andrew Cuomo also submitted legislation to suspend junior and probationary licenses for 60 days with the first offense.

Research has shown that the average eye diversion to send a text is 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that's equivalent to driving the length of a football field without looking.

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