New York Gov. David Paterson wants to "take the handcuffs off" when it comes to texting and driving. He's proposed legislation in the Senate that would upgrade enforcement of the state's 2008 texting law from "secondary" to "primary." That means law officers can stop and cite text-messaging drivers for that reason alone. "This bill will take the handcuffs off our law enforcement officers and make our highways safer by allowing officers to observe a violation and immediately issue a summons," Paterson said in a statement on SB 222 Wednesday. The state reports that about 200 tickets have been … [Read more...]
Archives for February 2010
Simitian: Hike Calif. distracted driving fines
February 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Seeking "a more significant deterrent," California State Sen. Joe Simitian has filed legislation that would more than double fines on the trio of distracted driving laws that he created in recent years. Simitian defended the laws' effectiveness last week -- reacting to a widely publicized study that shows cell phone bans don't work. On Monday, he announced the filing of California Senate Bill 1475. "I've heard repeatedly that the current fines are too modest," Simitian told the Mercury News. "They wouldn't be anymore." The state senator's latest distracted driving legislation … [Read more...]
Simitian defends California cell phone ban
February 19, 2010 by 1 Comment
California state Sen. Joe Simitian has heard enough about cell phone bans not working. Simitian came out in defense of his ban on drivers' use of handheld cell phones, armed with California Highway Patrol data. "A lot of folks are sitting down to dinner with their families every day, who might otherwise not have made it,” he said. CHP numbers show a 20 percent reduction in fatalities and collisions in the six months following implementation of that California cell phone ban. The bill was signed into law in 2006 and went into effect on July. 1, 2008. Simitian said 2009 was equally … [Read more...]
Report: Urban areas best served by bans
February 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Bans on handheld phones do work, and they work best in urban areas, according to a university study of traffic fatalities and injuries. A University of Illinois team looked at New York state in the years before and after its 2001 ban on handheld cell phones. All 62 counties in New York recorded lower motor vehicle injury rates after the ban, while 46 posted lower traffic fatalities -- 10 of them at statistically significant levels. When looking at three major population centers -- the Bronx, New York and Queens -- the personal injury decrease was more notable than in less populated … [Read more...]
Washington votes to toughen texting law
February 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The state of Washington already said no to text messaging while driving. Now it's shouting. The state Senate voted Feb. 5 to toughen Washington's law against texting and the use of handheld cell phones by targeting violators with primary (full) enforcement. Update: The House agreed with most of the bill, but rejected its call for primary enforcement for adult cell phone violations. The House vote came on March 3. The Senate then rejected those changes on March 6. The House and Senate versions must be reconciled before any legislation goes to the governor. The 2008 bans were limited to … [Read more...]
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