July 17, 2007
State Considers Banning Texting While Driving
State Senator Carl Marcellino of Oyster Bay and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz of Brooklyn are co-sponsoring a bill to stop drivers from text messaging while driving. Last month, an SUV driven by a 17-year-old girl crashed into a tractor trailer upstate in Ontario County. The SUV's driver, Bailey Goodman, and the four friends in the car all died on impact (the tractor trailer's driver was uninjured).
Investigators found that text messages had been sent from and to Goodman's cell phone shortly before the crash; Goodman also spoke on the cell phone a few minutes before the crash. It will never be known if Goodman had written the text messages herself, but the Ontario County sheriff said, "Cell phones are a distraction and could be a contributing cause in this accident."
There have also been questions about whether Goodman was permitted to drive at night and with non-relative passengers under 21, because she only had a junior license. Ortiz, who has sponsored a lot of legislation banning or restricting the use of cell phones while driving (including the current ban on non-hands-free cellphone use), said, "It's a shame that it may take a tragedy like this for this bill to move forward."
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Egads. Here are a few other things I guess they should consider banning while driving as well:
1) Playing your PSP.
2) Searching for your dropped donut.
3) Watching a movie on your headrest DVD player.
4) Sleeping.
shouldn't texting while driving already be illegal if using the phone is illegal?
the person who invents a hands-free texting device will be rich.
"State Considers Banning Texting While Driving"
Ignoring that text messaging while driving is Suicidal: How do they enforce it?
If a Police officer observes someone not paying attention while driving, wont they pull that person over now?
They don't (can't) enforce the hands free cell phone thing now. Why would they bother with this? Do they really think that if you tell people not to do something they won't do it if they think they can get away with it? And doesn't tien mao have a good point? Isn't it already illegal by virtue of its being a cell phone and in your HANDS? Albany should be flushed into the Hudson.
I'm glad they're working on unenforceable laws like this instead of something that really matters like congestion pricing.
"Any driver who causes an accident through deliberate failure to drive properly will have any taxpayer-financed benefits reduced. They will also be "last served" for any scarce medical and/or financial benefits or resources."
They can choose how they want to behave. But they can not use taxpayer money to recover from that behaviour. And they can not jump ahead of someone more deserving for, say, blood or organs.
Signed: Liberal But Not Guilty
You would think that this would have been covered in the cell phone while driving ban.
God, Trenton is looking more competent than Albany these days.
Hopefully they'll be able to ban stupidity once and for all... any moron can get a license in this country...
I think the purpose of this is more to be able to punish/fine people who cause accidents while texting. It's probably not enforceable on its own, but it's definitely one of those things that are stupid enough to be illegal.
Maybe they should ban driving with a blindfold on as well. Whatever happened to common sense?
As far as I'm concerned, having a phone in your hand, and your eyes anywhere other than on the road should be totally illegal and heavily fined. You should be able to recieve (not send) calls, via a hands-free headset or car speaker system only.
The fact that there are people who actually send text messages while driving only serves to confirm the fact that even the morbidly stupid are eligible to drive in this country, thus endangering the lives of everyone around them.
"State Considers Banning Texting While Driving"
There's nothing to consider. It should be law!
@ Alex
You stole the words from my mouth. I hate to say it, but Albany really does serve the needs of the 'burbs (and out of the way areas in the middle of the state) before NYC. It's absurd that the only laws passing are the unenforceable ones.
Generally speaking, they should make the requirements for getting a driver's license stricter. There are way too many fucking morons on the road.
Putting on makeup, brushing your hair, changing your shoes, looking for a breath mint, changing the radio are ALSO detrimental behaviors while driving, but no one's going after cosmetic companies or XM Radio...
You stole the words from my mouth. I hate to say it, but Albany really does serve the needs of the 'burbs (and out of the way areas in the middle of the state) before NYC
....... Because texting while driving on a crowded city street is oh-so-safe?
i'm just glad they haven't banned solving sudoku puzzles while driving.
@Tkaisen
You walk 70 mph down Broadway?
Basically the drinking age should be 16 and the driving age 21.
at least the stupid driver won't be able to breed and spawn equally stupid children. pity about the other girls. glad thd truck driver wasn't hurt.
considers? it should be a done deal.
You walk 70 mph down Broadway?
....... Because texting while driving on a crowded city street is oh-so-safe?
Fail.
This goes to all you Knuckle-heads who feel they need to be connected at all times . Grow the F*ck-up ! Ur ruining the technological advances currently available to responsible folk like me ! If Ur not smart enough to know that Texting, while Driving is one of the stupidest things to do, Then you are as Stupid,& Retarded as I perceive you to be ! Just look at what the State has come to terms with here . They now want to create a law banning You from doing something that you should be smart enough to know not to do in the first place . I tell you, [90]% of all drivers are dumb asses-Self centered-pricks ! Posted by; "Still Not Amused"
Tkaisen,
Go back to Oyster Bay, cocksucker.
Go back to Oyster Bay, cocksucker.
Never been there. Fail again.
Cry some more, though. It's cute.