Hey texters -- get ready to pay more money if you get caught sending messages while driving.

The new New York state budget, which is set to be approved later this week, will have increased penalties for multiple offenders who text and/or talk on a cell phone while operating a vehicle.

Those fines could reach up to $400. First-time offenders who are caught talking on a cell without hands-free equipment will now pay $150 (up from $100).

Police issued close to 26,000 tickets for texting while driving from January 2012 to November 2012.  Only 9,000 tickets were handed out on the same violation in 2011.

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