Deadly distractions won't be tolerated in Maryland. The state's governor signed "Jake's Law" on April 14, bringing closure of a kind to the family of a 5-year-old who died in a 2011 distracted driving crash. The law, which takes effect Oct. 1, means distracted drivers who kill or seriously injure others through their negligence are faced with a year's incarceration and a $5,000 fine. In addition, 12 points will be assessed vs. the driver's license. The driver who slammed into the family car and killed Jake Owen was fined $1,000, convicted of a pair of traffic offenses. He was using … [Read more...]
In South Dakota, a texting turf war
February 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment
South Dakota finds itself in the midst of a turf war over distracted driving legislation. The House speaker, an opponent of previous distracted driving legislation, proposed a bill for 2014 that would discard the state's crazy quilt of local laws regarding texting and cell phones. At a contentious House hearing Feb. 5, state Rep. Brian Gosch, left, amended his bill to include a statewide ban on texting & driving. Critics said his intent was to eliminate local authority over distracted driving and replace the ordinances with a watered-down state law. Updates: That bill passed the House … [Read more...]
The year in distracted driving: 2013
December 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The year 2013 saw plenty of action on the distracted driving front -- from the legislatures to the courts to the streets. The year started with a bang as the nation's No. 1 fighter of distracted driving stepped down. Here's a look back: LaHood says he's leaving (Jan. 29): U.S. Department of Transportation chief Ray LaHood confirms he's stepping down from his Cabinet-level post. The move, while expected, was widely seen as a blow to the fight against distracted driving at the national level. LaHood, left, detailed a string of DOT achievements during his tenure, beginning with the efforts to … [Read more...]
2014’s new distracted driving laws
December 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
New distracted driving laws greet the New Year in a handful of states, notably Illinois, Oregon, Vermont and California. In Illinois, holding a cell phone while driving becomes illegal Jan. 1. The state already prohibits text messaging while driving. Fines range from $75 (first offense) to $150. In Oregon, fines for texting and using handheld mobile phones while driving increase to as much as $500. Most violators will pay $250 plus fees for texting and cell phone convictions -- less than the new maximum. The old maximum fine, $250, will be doubled as of Jan. 1. In Vermont, penalties … [Read more...]
Florida’s texting law already targeted
October 2, 2013 by 1 Comment
Florida's debate over distracted driving is far from over, even though the Sunshine State finally has a ban on texting while driving. The new text messaging law, which went into effect Oct. 1, isn't getting much respect from safety experts, survivors groups, the press and some lawmakers, many of whom cite the ban's secondary-enforcement status as weak and ineffectual. State Sen. Maria Sachs (pictured) used the bully pulpit of day 1 of the texting law to propose an upgrade to primary enforcement, which allows police to stop and cite violators for that reason alone. Secondary enforcement … [Read more...]
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