One of 2010's fiercest legislative battles over distracted driving raged in Washington -- a state that already has banned handheld cell phone use and texting by drivers. Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the distracted driving legislation on March 26, clearing the way for enforcement to begin June 10. “To those who have said to me that it’s no different than having a cup of coffee, the coffee doesn’t talk back to me," Gregoire said at the signing. "Coffee doesn’t have anything to say to me. A cell phone does,” she said. (This story has been updated twice.) On March 11, the civil war ended as the … [Read more...]
Your texting & driving rights, defended by patriots
March 3, 2010 by 3 Comments
Strangest beginning to a news story we've seen in a while: "PHOENIX -- Arizona drivers' right to compose and send text messages from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle has successfully been defended." This from a report on the defeat of a distracted driving bill, written by Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services. The headline in the Arizona Star noted that the bill "was sent packing." Guess the Arizona cops would have to pry the text messaging devices from freedom lovers' cold dead hands. A distinct possibility, if you think about it. … [Read more...]
N.Y. governor: Toughen texting law
February 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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...]
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...]
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