Finally a law that I actually like!

I thought i would never say this but there is now a law that i actually like and i hope it really gets enforced.

Link

capitalregion.ynn.com...

ALBANY, N.Y. - In a quiet change to New York's Vehicle & Traffic Law, a new statute took effect Monday, outlawing any use of electronic devices while stopped at a stop sign, red light, or in a traffic jam. Previously, using phones in those situations was legal, as state law had only prohibited the use of cell phones and other devices while operating a moving vehicle.

State Vehicle & Traffic Law Section 1225-D, Paragraph 4 now states: "A person who holds a portable electronic device in a conspicuous manner while operating a motor vehicle on a public highway, including while temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device, or other momentary delays is presumed to be using such device."

This is great! Every time I am on the highway i have noticed that a large percentage of people txting and weaving around worse than drunks. do these people realize that they are in control of a multi ton vehicle traveling at speed in excess of 70 mph, "any one math inclined want to do the Equation of kinetic energy of 2000 pounds traveling at 75 mph?" 5 - 10 Mega Joules? just a guess. and they are doing this pretty much blind as they are looking down at their phones, i believe its somewhere around 100ft per 5 seconds at 75mph. i strongly belive that a txting driver is more dangerous that a intoxicated one, my logic being that at lease a drunk is trying to focus on the road and keeping it in between the lines in order not to get caught.

I actually pulled up to someone after they were clearly txting and driving dangerously erratic got off the same exit as me. i yelled over at this person "still txting" hey what is so important that you almost ran me off the road and could have killed that family back there. in response i got a very dumbfounded look and a whatever meh attitude from this guy / punk looking kid. what is wrong with these people!

an idea that i had was that the cell towers would or could possibly track your speed of movement and if you go over a certain speed of 10-15 mph running it would shut down the phone. mabey a little too intrusive, i guess they could put an acception on to 911 though, what you guys think?

Craninalbliss

an idea that i had was that the cell towers would or could possibly track your speed of movement and if you go over a certain speed of 10-15 mph running it would shut down the phone. mabey a little too intrusive, i guess they could put an acception on to 911 though, what you guys think?

It would make getting the train a total pain

Seriously though, i think you are right, its very dangerous. While we are at it, can we ban smoking while driving? lighting a flame in your face with one hand while driving and smoking with an end that could fall in your lap anytime and set you/car on fire, or smoke/ash in your eyes etc

I am very against texting while driving. My family will never be the same because of it (the driver will never be the same either).

I hope that one day its illegal in all 50 states and that all people will finally realize that all it takes is a second for it to all go horribly, horribly wrong. Whatever it is can wait, and if it can't, they can find somewhere to pull off the road and take care of it.

S&F

I do agree that using a cell phone while driving is dangerous, so this law is definitely in the interest of public safety. It's worth giving a thumbs up. I do have ONE major problem with law though... The people who enforce it use electronic devices while driving ALL DAY LONG. Are they going to be fined...??? F*** no! Standard hypocrisy. I honestly think that cops should have to follow the law as well, but they wont. I got pulled over once and fined for distracted driving because I checked the time on my phone. The cop was on his phone when he pulled me over... Aren't these people supposed to set the example??

All in all, I like the idea behind the law, but like all laws, this one only applies to civilians. When I asked the cop that pulled me over why he was on the phone too, he told me that he was trained for it. How exactly are cops "trained" to use a cell phone while driving??

reply to post by Biigs


Hahahahha you bring back a fond memory of my father. i was like 10 yrs old and my dad was driving me to school he was going to be late for work and i was already late for school, any ways his cig fell out of his mouth and started to burn his pants, sure enough we went off the road and hit a light pole no one was hurt though but it was very frightening.

I observe police, both military and civilian doing the same thing.. texting while driving, texting while stopped..

You can be distracted by anything while driving.. fiddling with your stereo, reaching in your purse to fix your lipstick, reaching down for your soda .. kids screaming in the back seat.. PICKING YOUR NOSE...

Sounds good, until you think about traffic stops by the police. I guess it is now illegal to record the police with a hand held device if you get pulled over.

I'm one of the last people that thinks we need more laws but I completely agree with the whole cell phone use while driving thing.

I wish they'd outlaw that here in my state. They have in some counties, but not mine. Last year, a crossing guard was hit by a 16-year-old girl in front of an elementary school. this article doesn't tell the whole story--the teen girl was texting at the time and the guard was in the intersection stopping traffic for kids to cross.

I never talk or text on my cell phone while driving. I only touch it to change a song at a stop light but even then I don't look directly at my phone, I look with my peripheral vision -- However, this is a rare case, I get to paranoid touching the darn thing while I'm driving.

~Sovereign

reply to post by Craninalbliss


Yay one more law!

One more excuse for the police to keep us safer from ourselves and make life more difficult!

One more excuse for them to pull you over and search you and your property!

Pretty soon we'll be so safe that we'll all be behind bars(and we know how safe THAT is). Kinda like how safe the government has kept all those drug addicted males in prison. They are so safe now they are all raped on a regular basis. Good thing the government stepped in and saved them from themselves and their dangerous drug problem.

Now with this texting law, even MORE people will be safer.

Bring on the laws. While you're at pass laws about in car stereos and talking.

reply to post by darkwingduck


A possible loophole for recording the police using the key words "conspicuous manner" i mean hey your not conspicuous if you announce it in open view/ understanding, Turn off your vehicle and announce out the window as the officer is approaching, Sir / Ma'am I am exercising my rights as a us citizen and i am now recording you and for the record my vehicle is not running.

reply to post by OrphanApology


Let's not get carried away now on this one.
I suppose you also feel strongly against Driving-Under the-Influence? - How dare they pull those people over, more laws being passed and freedoms being taken away? No.

~Sovereign

SovereignEve
reply to post by OrphanApology

 

Let's not get carried away now on this one.
I suppose you also feel strongly against Driving-Under the-Influence? - How dare they pull those people over, more laws being passed and freedoms being taken away? No.

~Sovereign

edit on 29-10-2013 by SovereignEve because: (no reason given)

Last time I checked they didn't merely pull over swerving cars suspected of driving under the influence, they set up checkpoints around the city with eagerness to breathylise everyone.

MADD would be proud of course.

This is one of the very worst charities in existence. MADD was founded by a decent woman with decent intentions. Candy Lightner, whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, set to work raising awareness about the issue and passing legislation about it. She quit the organization in 1985, feeling that MADD had been hijacked and saying that the group had “ become far more neo-prohibitionist than I had ever wanted or envisioned … I didn’t start MADD to deal with alcohol. I started MADD to deal with the issue of drunk driving.” This is a distinction that MADD seems incapable of making. - See more at: thegrumpyowl.com...

reply to post by boncho


If you are swerving continuously then I'm afraid, yes, they will in fact pull you over because why would someone be driving like that IF sober? (if they are looking at their phone, then that is also dangerous)

I have not seen such a check point where I reside. I live in one of the most populated cities in the world as well.

~Sovereign

SovereignEve
reply to post by OrphanApology

 

Let's not get carried away now on this one.
I suppose you also feel strongly against Driving-Under the-Influence? - How dare they pull those people over, more laws being passed and freedoms being taken away? No.

~Sovereign

edit on 29-10-2013 by SovereignEve because: (no reason given)

Well you live in the United Kingdom, but where I live (Texas) they open checkpoints and check every car. They can also force you to take blood test if you refuse breathalyzer(of which they refuse to give code out on how the program works). They also take your DNA sample and for being even .01 over the limit of .08 they will require you to carry around a breathlyzer usually for around six months to three years. All while raping you of ridiculous amounts of money that does not in any way add to less drunk driving(maybe it would if they put it in a public taxi fund).

Also you do not have the option to walk home safely as the public intoxication level is the same as the driving level. So if I choose to walk home from a bar to avoid driving drunk and I am over .08, a cop can still arrest me and take me to jail, bypassing all rights and taking my DNA.

So to answer your question, no I am NOT supportive of the current system of dealing with drunk drivers.

reply to post by OrphanApology


That's ridiculous! Thanks for sharing that with me. I am no longer in the UK, however, I am in Cali now and I have yet to see anything like that -- keyword: YET! I understand your point now and can see why this would bother you.

~Sovereign

reply to post by SovereignEve


Yeah I had an ex gf who was arrested for being .01 over the limit and after it was all said and done she was looking at around 3-5k in bills which she couldn't pay. They wound up putting her in jail for six months and it was just generally very ridiculous. I have known people who physically assaulted someone to the point of putting them in the hospital that spent less time behind bars.

I've also been pulled over for the checkpoint while sober but I refused to even give them anything. I want them to arrest me so I can sue them, but each time they wound up letting me through. I was livid.

The whole taking DNA with every arrest and mandatory blood tests is what really put me over the edge with it all.

But yeah even if you walk home or take a cab the public intoxication level is same as driving limit. The laws are ridiculous.

Love this mans tasteful method of delivery!

reply to post by Craninalbliss


You do realize that texting while driving has been a ticketable offense in the state of NY for 9 1/2 years now right? The only update to this law as described in your article is that it is now illegal to use an electronic device while stopped in traffic or at a red light/stop sign or to be seen in a conspicuous manner holding said device. There is no need whatsoever to text or talking while driving, especially like I see the state police doing as they fly down the northway at 100 mph but as someone else pointed out, this is just a backdoor entrance into stopping you from filming them IMO. This has been barely a whisper locally and that's just the way they like it. It's also a way around exigency as all a cop has to do is claim they saw you holding an electronic device and they can now pull you over in an attempt to escalate matters into an arrestable offense from a mere traffic ticket. Sad when I have to come to ATS to find out about laws passed a mere 20 miles from my home.

reply to post by peter vlar


More to the point just having a cellphone in sight or reach while driving poorly is now ticketable