Question
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General Government, Politics & Law
NY State May Ban Text Messaging While Driving
The horrific deaths of five upstate teens when the SUV they were riding in slammed into a truck has pumped momentum into a measure that would prohibit New Yorkers from sending text messages when they're behind the wheel.
"The recent tragedy in Canandaigua highlights how deadly the combination of texting and driver inexperience can be," said Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Oyster Bay), who is co-sponsoring the proposal with Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn).
Using cell phone records, police determined the 17-year-old driver who caused the deadly wreck last month was sending and receiving text messages before the SUV she was driving rammed a tractor-trailer, killing her and four girls who had just graduated from high school.
Tests conducted on the driver after the fiery crash showed the primary cause of the accident was driver inattention due to the apparent text messaging. Alcohol was not a factor.
A recent poll of people 18 to 24 years old showed that two out of three admit to sending text messages when they drive.
Ortiz, the author of the trail-blazing New York prohibition against drivers using hand-held cell phones when they're behind the wheel, said, "It's a shame that it may take a tragedy like this for this bill to move forward."
Under the proposal, those nabbed texting while driving could be hit with fines of up to $100 - the same penalty that applies now when police catch drivers gabbing on cell phones.
*And on a side note, a guy texting in his car yesterday almost crashed into my car.
The horrific deaths of five upstate teens when the SUV they were riding in slammed into a truck has pumped momentum into a measure that would prohibit New Yorkers from sending text messages when they're behind the wheel.
"The recent tragedy in Canandaigua highlights how deadly the combination of texting and driver inexperience can be," said Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Oyster Bay), who is co-sponsoring the proposal with Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn).
Using cell phone records, police determined the 17-year-old driver who caused the deadly wreck last month was sending and receiving text messages before the SUV she was driving rammed a tractor-trailer, killing her and four girls who had just graduated from high school.
Tests conducted on the driver after the fiery crash showed the primary cause of the accident was driver inattention due to the apparent text messaging. Alcohol was not a factor.
A recent poll of people 18 to 24 years old showed that two out of three admit to sending text messages when they drive.
Ortiz, the author of the trail-blazing New York prohibition against drivers using hand-held cell phones when they're behind the wheel, said, "It's a shame that it may take a tragedy like this for this bill to move forward."
Under the proposal, those nabbed texting while driving could be hit with fines of up to $100 - the same penalty that applies now when police catch drivers gabbing on cell phones.
*And on a side note, a guy texting in his car yesterday almost crashed into my car.
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Answered Yes
YES!!!! I cant say this loud enough!!! PUT DOWN THE PHONE AND DRIVE!!! It goes far beyond personal responsibilty when you put other peoples lives at risk. Unfortunately not enough people have common sense so the govt should step in. With that said it should not be limited to just texting....what about reading a book, or applying makeup! Ive seen people doing both on the interstate -
Answered Yes
It should be banned everywhere. People have enough problems driving, they do not need to impair themselves even more. Is is okay to write a letter while driving, reading the paper, using your laptop, baking a cake. Get a clue to anyone who thinks texting is okay to do while driving. -
Answered No
People need to take responsibility for their own safty. The government should not have to tell you that it is unsafe and therefore unlawfull to text while driving. If so they need to add reading a book, talking (while holding the phone to your head), and all the other little distracting things people do while driving. For the sake of punnishing those who put themselves and others at risk by intentionally doing distracting things, maybe they can pass a law that covers them all. DUI, covers alcohol and drugs maybe the phone could be the influence. DWD for driving while distracted. It would save time to have one law instead of individual laws. -
Answered Yes
Driving on today's roads is difficult enough without the distractions of talking on cell phones, let alone text messaging. I think blue tooth-type devices should be allowed, but dialing and texting are too distracting and should be against the law. -
Answered No
it should be against the law of common sense, but to create a new law. This is way too much government intervention. People need to start using the brains the good Lord gave them and start taking responsibility for their actions. Government can not and should not be taking care of us. -
Answered Yes
Of course texting should be banned. Think about it. In the blink of an eye, literally, your kid or your pet or someone else you love steps off a curb in front of somebody looking at his keyboard and not at the road. Your loved one is now forever remembered as roadkill simply because some jerk had to tell his girlfriend that he's almost home. Spare me the Big Brother whining. It is not your RIGHT to drive, it is a PRIVILEGE granted by your state to responsible adults only. Act responsibly and this won't even be an issue. -
In NYC...traffic sits still...there is plenty of time to text I think! Maybe I'm wrong...I haven't driven in the city, but have walked through. Should they tell people on highways that they can't have a drink in their car while driving because it takes their attention off the road? At what point do you cut it off? You can't tell someone driving across country that they can't have a soda in their car! The government doesn't have a right to tell us what we can and can't do unless it has to do with harming someone!
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Gotcha...well it's not illegal anywhere I know to drink and drive if you are impared :) There's a difference in talking on a cell phone or having a soda while you drive...if they get rid of everything that stands in the way, they would be telling us how we have to dress...what kind of shoes we must wear to drive in, That we are not allowed to wear jackets (because it impairs our ability to steer on occasion depending on the kind of jacket), they would tell us we can't have anything food or drink related in the car with us unless it's in the trunk, that we can't have children in the back of the car because they might distract us, that we can't do ANYTHING...that is where this government is headed! Bush would probably do it if he thought he could! They don't have a right based on the fact in our property even on a public road we have a right to do things that are not illegal in public! They can tell us that we have to buckle up and they ticket us...I unbuckle when I see one of the signs because they can't FORCE me to buckle as a government! A child screaming in the back seat is more dangerous than someone talking on the phone or even texting! And they CAN'T TELL US THAT CHILDREN UNDER A CERTAIN AGE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE IN VEHICLES :)
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I thought I was in agreement with you before you brought President Bush's name into the mix. Then continuing on with your rant, I just figured out that you are not a happy camper. I think I know where you are going with this - NO Big Brother, but geez do you have to be so angry?
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Yes, i have to be angry...I am going through Hell because of some things this current federal government is refusing to do to help a law abiding citizen (one speeding ticket) who has paid taxes until what I'm going through started! The federal government is a joke! :) We won't go off on Bush he's too dumb to waste my time on :) OOPS, don't get offended! It's the FCC, FBI, IRS, CIA, NASA, Department of Defense, and a list of so many others I won't continue naming them all! The federal government is a JOKE from HELL and it's sad that the American people pay them a penny with what a poor job they are doing!
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Answered Undecided
duh! Kinda stupid to have to make it illegal but sure it should be illegal to text while driving, i suppose. But then again isn't anything distracting illegal while driving? So why bother singling out just that? What's next ...It is NOW illegal to have sex while you drive...DUH! -
Answered Undecided
well..with all the traffic in New York..it would be a good idea to not text since it can distract you and cause accidents..and texting while driving is a bad idea in general anyway..but like <--That guy said..how are you going to enforce it?? -
Answered Undecided
You know why? The cops don't even enforce the cell phone ban in New York. It's a joke. And these are some of the most dangerous people on the road: turning a corner at a busy intersection, maneuvering into a parking space. What good is another law that won't be enforced? -
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Answered Yes
You get a fine in the UK if you are caught using your mobile phone while driving , it is very dangerous .