Today, travelers who are going a far distance and need to stop for food or to use the restrooms usually use Highway rest stops.

Locals who take a minute and fill up the gas tank in their cars also use rest stops. But who would have known that rest stops are now a part of our law system.

The state of New York has decided to step it up in the prevention of accidents from drivers who like to text and talk on their phones.

New york is one of the 41 states that ban texting while driving.

91 texting zones are now available in various rest stops here in our very own state and 298 signs are now strategically placed along state highways.

Now if drivers need to send a quick text they must stop at a “text zone” by law.

Violators of this law will face up to $50 – $150 fine for a first offence, $200 for a second offence within 18 months and up to $400 for a third offence.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a 365 percent increase in tickets issued in the summer of 2013 compared to the summer of 2012 for distracted driving.

“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.” Said by Governor Andrew Cuomo

State police issued 21,580 tickets surpassing last summers total of 5,208 tickets.

Distracted driving vary from texting, using a cell phone or smart phone, eating, drinking, grooming, using a navigational system, reading/including maps, adjusting a radio, CD player and/or a MP3 player.

Although it seems like the law is trying to make drivers sit in their cars in utter silence and do nothing but focus on the roads.

This law can prevent the 23% of auto collisions caused by cellphones that accrued in 2011, and for those who aren’t good in math that means 1.3 million crashes because “it couldn’t wait”

Not to mention the 3,331 deaths and the 387,000 injured caused by distracted drivers.

If you are one of the 77% of young adult drivers that are somewhat confident that they are able to text while driving or the 55% of young adult drivers that claim its easy to text in drive keep that in mind.

For the students that have a mobile device with AT&T, you can now log on to the AT&T website and sign up to be an advocate for their “It can wait” Campaign and pledge not to text and drive.

People who sign up can also share their texting and driving stories and/or read others experiences with it.

A texting zone is available for Mercy students who commute on Westchester I-87 Ardsley service station.

This law seems a bit absurd and over the top but as a driver do you prefer to wait to use the text stop, not respond to any calls and/or messages or get a $150 ticket.

The list of the 91 texting zones and their locations.

• Albany, I-87, New Baltimore Service Area
• Albany, I-87, Rest Area – 3 miles south of Albany
• Clinton, I-87, Beekmantown
• Clinton, I-87, Point Au Roche
• Clinton, I-87, Valcour
• Essex, I-87, High Peaks NB
• Essex, I-87, High Peaks SB
• Essex, I 87, Elizabethtown
• Essex, I 87, Lewis
• Rockland, I-87, Ramapo Service Area
• Rockland, I-87, Sloatsburg Service Area
• Saratoga, I-87, Clifton Park
• Ulster, I-87, Ulster Service Area
• Ulster, I-87, Modena Service Area
• Ulster, I-87, Plattekill Service Area
• Ulster, I-87, Malden Service Area
• Ulster, I-87, Rest Area – 11 miles south of Catskill
• Ulster, I-87, Rest Area – 8 miles north of Kingston
• Warren, I 87, Lake George
• Warren, I-87, South Glens Falls
• Warren, I-87, North Glens Falls
• Westchester, I-87, Ardsley Service Area
• Cortland, I-81, Preble
• Livingston, I-390, Mt. Morris
• Livingston, I-390, Geneseo
• Cattaraugus, I-86, Allegany River
• Chautauqua, I-86, Chautauqua L./Ellery
• Cattaraugus, I-86, Randolph
• Cattaraugus, I-86, Randolph
• Allegany, I-86, Friendship
• Steuben, I-86, Kanona
• Steuben, I-86, Campbell
• Steuben, I-390, Cohocton
• Steuben, US Hwy 15/I86, Erwin
• Steuben, I-86, Erwin
• Steuben, I-86, Hornellsville
• Jefferson, I-81, 1000 Islands/Orleans
• Jefferson, I-81, Watertown
• Jefferson, I-81, Ellisburg
• Jefferson, I-81, Ellisburg
• Jefferson, I-81, Orleans
• Jefferson, I-81, Pamelia
• Jefferson, I-81, Pamelia
• Jefferson, I-81, Pamelia
• Jefferson, I-81, Watertown
• Orange, I-84, Wallkill
• Orange, I-84, Middletown
• Dutchess, I-84, Stormville
• Dutchess, I-84, Fishkill
• Putnam, I-684, Brewster
• Weschester, I-684, Bedford
• Orange, I-84, Greenville
• Orange, I-84, Greenville
• Chenango, I-81, Whitney Point
• Tioga, NY 17, Nichols
• Tioga, NY 17, Owego
• Delaware, NY 17, East Branch
• Sullivan, NY 17, Roscoe
• Broome, I-81, Penn State Line
• Otsego, I-88, Unadilla
• Otsego, I-88, East Worcester
• Suffolk, I-495, Huntington
• Suffolk, I-495, Huntington
• Cayuga, I-90, Port Byron Service Area
• Erie, I-90, Clarence Service Area
• Erie, I-90, Angola Service Area EB
• Erie, I-90, Angola Service Area WB
• Erie, I-90, Rest Area – 2 miles east of Eden/Angola
• Erie, I-90, Rest Area – 7 miles west of Hamburg
• Genesee, I-90, Pembroke Service Area
• Herkimer, I-90, Iroquois Service Area
• Herkimer, I-90, Schuyler Service Area
• Herkimer, I-90, Indian Castle Service Area
• Madison, I-90, Chittenango Service Area
• Monroe, I-90, Ontario Service Area
• Monroe, I-90, Scottsville Service Area
• Montgomery, I-90, Mohawk Service Area
• Montgomery, I-90, Rest Area – 10 miles east of Canajoharie
• Montgomery, I-90, Rest Area – 2 miles west of Fultonville
• Oneida, I-90, Oneida Service Area
• Oneida, I-90, Rest Area – 3 miles east of Verona
• Oneida, I-90, Rest Area – 3 miles west of Verona
• Onondaga, I-90, Warners Service Area
• Onondaga, I-90, DeWitt Service Area
• Ontario, I-90, Junius Ponds
• Ontario, I-90, Seneca Service Area
• Ontario, I-90, Clifton Springs Service Area
• Ontario, I-90, Rest Area – 9 miles east of Rochester
• Schenectady, I-90, Pattersonville Service Area
• Schenectady, I-90, Guilderland Service Area
• Seneca, I-90, Rest Area – 15 miles west of Weedsport