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.

[rotstan]

Two weeks ago, I saw an NYPD officer talking on his cell phone while driving his patrol car on the West Side Highway.

[Military family member]

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!

I would like to see those studies, with special attention on the methodology of those studies. I want to see comparisons made to radio use, having small children in the vehicle, other passengers, smoking in cars, Stereos in excess of 100db, eating in cars, and other in-car distractions.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Note to self: Never spend one dime in NYC again.

This is obscene. The police are nothing but armed tax collectors anymore.

[Yaelle]

I will obey the cell phone law when they pass a similar law outlawing driving around with a live dog sitting on your lap.

I would get a dog if it could dial my cellphone for me. ;)