More Than 9,000 Ticketed For Using Cell Phones While Driving

NY1 News ^ | Friday, March 13, 2009

[ETL]

The New York City Police Department issued more than 9,000 tickets yesterday to drivers caught using their cell phones while on the road.

The 24-hour citywide crackdown began at midnight yesterday.

It served as a reminder to New Yorkers that using a hand held cell phone while driving is illegal in the state. Drivers who were ticketed face a $120 fine.

Police say they normally issue around 500 tickets for cell phone use per day.

The National Safety Council says accidents caused by cell phone use while driving is blamed for nearly 2,600 deaths a year.

[PalmettoMason]

...Yet driving a police car while disregarding speed limits and other traffic regulations, and while talking on a cellphone, using a laptop AND munching on a donut is still fine...

Just sayin'.

[ETL]

I can’t count how many times I have had a close call because some idiot was dialing my phone and not paying attention...

Lol! Sounds like you were speaking for many folks who do use a cellphone while driving. (dialing "my" phone)

[gorush]

If you’re happy and you know it clank your chains (clank, clank)...

[loungitude]

Of course, 9000 traffic stops caused no hazard.

[OrangeHoof]

Its time the idiots on the NYC Council stopped harassing the poor bastards stupid enough to still be living there.

I disagree. Since they are stupid enough to live in NYC to begin with, they should have to live with the nanny-statism that they elect and re-elect. If they aren't smart enough to move, it's their fault.

[Alberta's Child]

I will obey the laws against using hand-held cell phones in cars when that law is also extended to hands-free phones.

It has been shown in any number of motor vehicle safety studies that there is no difference in driver attentiveness with the different types of phones. It's the distraction of the phone conversation that is the problem, not the use of only one hand on the steering wheel!

[ETL]

Well, hopefully, at least those 9,000 will wake the hell up and be more responsible drivers in the future. This is an overcrowded city with thousands of cars on the roads and thousands of pedestrians crossing the busy streets. You need to be paying attention. On the highways people on cellphones often travel below the speed limit, drift out of their lanes, and rarely if ever signal when changing lanes.

[ETL]

not the use of only one hand on the steering wheel!

How do you signal with one hand on the wheel and the other holding a cellphone? Don't answer that!

[ETL]

"The National Safety Council says accidents caused by cell phone use while driving is blamed for nearly 2,600 deaths a year."

[Iron Munro]

I wish the police would enforce a law like this where I live.

There is something about talking on a cell phone that renders otherwise normal people incapable of driving safely.

[Redbob]

Y’all just think of this as your “Cellphone tax,” since it’s obvious you don’t pay enough tax already to satisfy the insatiable Michael Bloomers.

[mysterio]

More nanny state BS.

[mysterio]

This recent study showed that conversations with a passenger have the same negative effect on driving that a phone conversation does. I wonder if the nanny crowd will demand passengers not speak to the driver.

[Snurple]

"More Than 9,000 Ticketed For Using Cell Phones While Driving"

Excellent!

[ETL]

This recent study showed that conversations with a passenger have the same negative effect on driving that a phone conversation does.

No way, unless you have a real pain in the *ss in the car yapping away at you. It typically requires more of one's attention to focus on a cellphone conversation, plus the thing about having both hands free for driving and signaling, etc. If an emergency situation suddenly arose, you'd need both hands to control the car properly, esp on icy or wet conditions.

[Jeff Chandler]

Hi Larry!

[mysterio]

No way, unless you have a real pain in the *ss in the car yapping away at you. It typically requires more of one's attention to focus on a cellphone conversation

Your opinion aside, that's not what the study found. The study additionally found a hands free device did not reduce the risk.

[sergeantdave]

I hate police. These fat political slobs are more interested in enforcing the orders of their Marxist masters and collecting a check they don’t deserve.

Marxist police are fat stupid punks, unaccountable to the people.

On the other hand, the sheriff is accountable to the people via the ballot box. Police are not accountable to the people. If I had my way, all police would be fired and be forced to submit themselves to a sheriff, elected via the people’s vote, to see if they’re fit to be peace officers who believe in the second amendment and private property.

[Hat-Trick]

I’d be curious to know how many of the 9000 were illegal alien cabbies, whose immigration status wasn’t checked by the NYPD (only acting on orders, of course).

[ETL]

Larry?