Steve Hughes is reporting for the Times Union while tickets for talking on a cell phone while driving are decreasing, citations for texting while driving are on the upswing. Data provided by the state show texting tickets increased 205 percent statewide from 2012 to 2016. During the same period, tickets for talking on a cell phone fell 47 percent. In the Capitol Region, the results were similar, with the number of texting tickets jumping 135 percent. At the same time, data from the state Department of Motor Vehicles shows that if drivers are ticketed for either offense while driving, there is a growing chance those drivers will not pay the full price. A local defense attorney said typically drivers can get cell phone or texting tickets dropped from a five-point offense to two points. In Albany, they have even been reduced to zero-point parking tickets. A first violation of using a cell phone or texting while driving in New York can lead to a $200 fine and five points on a driver’s record along with a $93 surcharge. Read the full story in the Times Union.