"Crackdown on Distracted Driving: Police Departments Nationwide Launch Ticket Blitz and Awareness Campaigns"

157 police departments in New Jersey are cracking down on distracted driving with the "U Text. U Drive. U Pay" campaign, which runs through the end of April. Last year, more than 8,000 tickets were issued for cell phone use or texting and nearly 4,000 for careless driving. Distracted driving caused 915 deaths in New Jersey from 2017 to 2021, with almost half of crashes involving a distracted driver. The penalty for texting or holding a phone while driving is $200 to $400 for a first offense, which could increase to $800 with three insurance points for additional violations.