By CRAIG FREILICH

Police in Canton and Potsdam say cell phone tickets to drivers are now routine but they don’t recall giving out any tickets for texting while driving.

State law now provides for points to be added to a driver’s record for texting or for using a handheld cell phone while driving.

Driving while using a cell phone to your ear was made illegal in 2001 in New York, once it became clear to officials and legislators that the practice is distracting. Texting while driving became illegal in the state in 2009, with a penalty of two points on the driver’s record. A two-point penalty was added to handheld cell phone use while driving just this February.

A woman in an accident in Stockholm in February was charged by state police with DWI and texting.

“I haven’t seen any tickets here for texting while driving,” said Canton Village Police Chief Alan Mulkin.

“But there have been plenty for obvious cell phone violations, quite a few” he said.

“Cell phone use is pretty clear to see,” said Potsdam Police Lt. Mark Murray. “There have been plenty of stops just for cell phone use, but they are frequently associated with other problems such as failing to yield to a pedestrian, speeding, or an unsafe lane change.”

“Perhaps the drivers are keeping their phones lower, out of the field of view, when they’re texting,” Chief Mulkin said.

While drivers texting might not be as obvious, Mulkin said, if an officer suspects it, “we could take it to the limit and check their records to see if they were texting at the time. But they will more often see a driver with a cell phone to their ear, driving down the road.”

Mulkin said that texting and driving is a safety issue, but it has not risen to the level of requiring a special enforcement effort.

“We haven’t set up a detail specifically to catch cell phone and texting violators.”

“We’re a small agency, and we’re not taking any special measures. If we’re going to target a specific problem, such as speeding on East Main Street, for example, we would want the community involved,” said Mulkin.

“The ultimate goal is public safety,” said Lt. Murray.

With the driver distraction issue, Murray said, “we’re particularly concerned, what with the high volume of pedestrian traffic we have, and the high volume of motor vehicle traffic on the state roads running though the village.”

Murray said he doesn’t see enforcement of driving and texting law as a problem by itself, but emphasizes that “the goal is safety.”

“We’re trying to make people aware how distracted they really are when they’re driving and texting or talking or adjusting the GPS – as bad or worse than the effects of alcohol or drugs.”