June 11, 2008
More New Yorkers Driving with One Hand on Cell Phone
Photo of 1969 car phone user courtesy Ericsson.
A maximum $100 fine doesn't seem to be stemming the rising tide of self-absorbed assholes who drive cars while blathering on their cell phones. Though a state law prohibits the use of a hand-held mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle, the number of violations has jumped fivefold in New York City since 2002, according to amNY. Last year almost 200,000 violations were reported.
An NYPD spokesman claims the increase is not due to increased enforcement by police but rather “increased negligence by drivers.” Cell phone use was a factor in 63 car accidents in the city in 2006, the last year statistics are available, according to amNY. But even legal "hands-free" cell phone use is problematic; last year a study found that hands-free cell phone chatting is favored by incessant multi-taskers who use their free fingers to engage in “grooming, eating, drinking and smoking” while driving. The New York State legislature is moving toward a law banning text-messaging while driving as well.
One New Yorker, Joe Casalino, recently wrote into the LA Times with a good point: Until cell phone violations result in added points to one’s driving record, few will take it seriously. (Starting July 1st, California drivers will have their chance to start blowing off the Golden State’s version of the law.) And according to a recent survey, New Yorkers lead the country in cell phone use while driving, with 70% of city drivers admitting they do it.
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Points, yes, but also stiffer fines and better enforcement. Everybody thinks they'll never be caught. I saw a woman who must have made five different moving violations within 30 feet and she was just laughing it off on her cell phone as if she made minor boo-boos. Raise the fine to $500 on first offense, $5000 on any subsequent offense and I guarantee you people will stop. And get the damn NYPD to start enforcing the law instead of harassing innocent photographers.
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I'm shocked that they've actually given out 200,000 violations in the last year. You see it so often you would think it's never enforced.
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text-messaging while driving ?? !!!
how about just driving while driving for a change?
BTW, one of the more hilarious scenes in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" belongs to Rob Schneider as a chronic cell phone using taxi driver.
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are you people kidding or what? how about outlawing driving while driving? "self-absorbed assholes" has got to include the huge amount of people out there that want to tell others what to do because it bugs them personally. i suppose you think that talking on the cell phone raises your insurance rates or some other ridiculous bull pushed by the insurance industry? off with their heads, all 70% of them. NYPD spokesman says it isn't because of increased enforcement, lol
not paying good attention while driving can come from day dreaming, fine em!
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jeezus christ people. It's called hands free bluetooth talking while driving. how hard is it?
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"Velma uses her nifty new car-phone to contact the rest of the Scooby gang."
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babyhitler: I think you missed this sentence in the above: "But even legal "hands-free" cell phone use is problematic; last year a study found that hands-free cell phone chatting is favored by incessant multi-taskers who use their free fingers to engage in “grooming, eating, drinking and smoking” while driving."
It's always really easy to tell who's carrying on a cellphone conversation while driving: they are usually in SUVs or trucks, they are blazing through red lights, and they are making dangerous turns while just barely missing pedestrians. I've almost been hit while on my bike more times than I care to recall... so I've taken to banging on people's windows and yelling "get off your phone" at them when I see them at red lights. Scares the pee out of them, lemme tell you.
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Hey- I'm as against inattentive drivers as anyone... I can't stand to hold a phone to my ear even at home! But John, I guess you haven't considered some of those "self-absorbed assholes" may be actually earning a living using their phones?
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Another sign of someone on the phone driving - they're going somewhat slow ("careful" right) but stradding lanes or on the edge of a lane on the highway.
This weekend I was behind some guy using one and a half lanes on the west side highway. Scary.
Also: that photo at the top of the page totally rocks.