Ask any biker – drivers who are texting instead of driving are one of the greatest dangers we face.  Any driver with their eyes on their phone instead of the road are far more likely to veer into an oncoming lane, smash into us from behind, fail to stop at a stop sign, or even know we are there.  NY has had a law prohibiting texting while driving for awhile now, but it was ineffective because texting while driving was only a secondary offense, meaning the police couldn’t pull you over for it.

NY has FINALLY corrected this problem.  I wrote a post on a new bill making textingwhile driving a pirmary offense.  That post was published on our main blog, the NY Inuury Law Blog last week.  You can find the original post here.

I have copied the original post below.

Thanks for reading, and ride safe!

______________________________
ZiffLaw Attorney, Esq.
NY and PA Motorcycle Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: info@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

Chemung County, NY Accident Lawyer: New York FINALLY Gets Tougher On Texting Drivers!

New York state lawmakers made a very smart move this week that could make our roads safer – they voted to toughen penalties for motorists who text while driving.

The New York state Assembly and Senate passed a bill that will make it easier for police to crack down on texting offenders, according to reporter Joseph Spector of the Gannett Albany Bureau.

My only question is – WHAT TOOK SO LONG?

State law currently makes texting while driving a secondary offense this means you cannot be pulled over for texting while driving – police are only allowed to ticket drivers for texting if they are pulled over for some other offense.

Police and safety officials have said the law, adopted in 2009, does not have the teeth to cut down on most texting drivers.

The new bill would make it a primary offense, clearing the way for police to pull over motorists for texting without other possible offenses, Spector said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo submitted his own similar legislation just a few days ago, Spector said, and is expected to sign the legislation into law.

Both proposed laws require distracted-driving education for people seeking a license, Spector said. The fine would remain at up to $150.

New York is one of only four states that has a texting ban without making it a primary offense, Spector said. It is a primary offense in 27 states, he added.

Check out a news report below from WGRZ-TV in Rochester:

Thanks for reading, and please don’t text and drive!

_______________________________

ZiffLaw Attorney, Esq.
NY and PA Injury and Accident Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: info@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com