Suffolk County on Long Island has become the first place in New York State where it's illegal to send text messages while operating a motor vehicle. Effective immediately, drivers spotted fiddling with their cell phones will face a $150 fine. Similar legislation has been passed in Nassau and Westchester counties but has not gone into effect, and a statewide law is still tied up in the legislature. In August, New York City Councilman David Weprin also introduced a bill that would make texting while driving illegal. The father of twin 16-year-old girls, Weprin said he was motivated by last summer’s fatal accident in the Finger Lakes, in which five girls in a sport utility vehicle died when the text-messaging teenage driver swerved into oncoming traffic.
Published Sep 17, 2008
Modified Sep 17, 2008
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