Hand Held Cell Phone Ban While Driving
Can your state be far behind?
23 countries including England, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Israel and Japan, have enacted Handheld cell phone bans while driving . 23 states are considering similar measures.
New York was the first to pass such a law.
Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, a Democrat from Brooklyn, who proudly calls himself the father of the handheld cell phone ban wanted to include drinking, smoking and eating. The rest of the Assembly thought the backlash from the coffee industry would be unbearable.
Someone forgot to tell him that driving while distracted is already a law on the books.
Someday soon you may get a ticket for not having both hands on the steering wheel or not wearing a crash helmet while driving.
Driving Rules on the Net
Cell Phone Law IS the Law in New York State
Attention Parents!
You can talk and drive but you can't hold the phone in your hand and drive. You have to buy a hands free kit to comply with the law.
Just because you don't live in New York don't think that you won't be buying the accessory real soon. They range between 20 and 90 dollars, and you won't be talking you will be screaming.
Here is the Actual Law
Cellular Phone Law
No person shall operate a motor vehicle while using a mobil telephone to engage in a call while a vehicle is in motion.
Penalties: Violation of New York's Cellular Phone Law is a traffic infraction, which may result in a fine of up to $100 plus court administration fees.
Exceptions: The operator uses a hands-free mobil telephone, which allows the user to communicate without the use of either hand.
When the sole purpose of the phone call is to communicate an emergency to a police or fire department, a hospital or physician's office, or an ambulance corps.
Police officers, fire fighters and operators of other authorized emergency vehicles while in performance of their official duties.
If you are going to teach your teen to drive, refresh your knowledge and review what they must know.
Things have changed since you were 16.
Online Study Guide for Student Drivers
drivingrules.net/Cell%20Phone%20Laws/Cell%20Phone%20Ban.htm
Cell Phones & Distracted Driving |
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Concern over the increasing use of cell phones while driving has prompted legislatures in a number of states to attempt to ban, or at least restrict, the practice, particularly among novice drivers. Some states have begun to address the specific issue of driving while texting (DWT) as well. Some states include use of cell phones as a data element where driver distraction contributes to a crash, but generally very few studies and limited crash data is available that provides a direct correlation between use of cell phones while driving and crashes. In April 2006, NHTSA and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute released research that concludes that driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. The study reports that nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the crash. GHSA has urged legislators not to interpret these results as a need for new legislative initiatives. The Association believes it is simply not good public policy to enact laws addressing every type of driver behavior. Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia have enacted jurisdiction-wide bans on driving while talking on handheld cell phones. California and Washington have passed similar laws that will go into affect in July, 2008. Many other states ban cell phone use in specific situations. Some other jurisdictions have enacted broader bans covering overall driver distractions. Before additional states enact such laws, NHTSA must fund studies to review what, if any, impact these laws have had. This type of information is critically important to guide policymakers in determining how best to address driver inattention and distraction. As part of a state's graduated drivers licensing law, novice drivers should be discouraged from using cell phones or other electronic devices for non-emergency purposes while driving. Young drivers have higher crash rates than more mature drivers, and are particularly vulnerable to fatal crashes. Limiting cell phone use as part of a graduated licensing system is one effective way to help reduce the number of teen traffic crashes and fatalities. www.ghsa.org/html/issues/cellphone.html Cell Phone Driving Laws
Learn more about this topic by visiting GHSA's Cell Phones & Distracted Driving issue page.
Sources: American Automobile Association (AAA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and State Highway Safety Offices. Most recently reviewed January, 2008.
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NHTSA estimates 10 percent of drivers on U.S. roads are using some type of mobile phone, either hand-held or hands-free. GHSA discourages the use of cell phones while driving. In a recent media alert, GHSA Chairman Chris Murphy stated that “All drivers, but particularly teens, need to focus solely on driving—and that means the cell phone needs to be off."
Several states restrict cell phone use while driving. Generally, state cell phone driving laws are based on issues specific to each state. For example, many states have identified cell phone use by novice drivers as an emerging highway safety problem and have thus restricted use. In some states, localities restrict cell phone use through local ordinances or policies. Other states prohibit localities from implementing such ordinances. These are known as "Preemption Laws." Highlights of current state cell phone driving laws include the following: