New York drivers must get the point about distracted driving or face points on their license.
Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced new legislation that would toughen existing penalties for drivers caught using portable electronic devices while driving.
If the legislation passes drivers would receive three points on their license for using a hand-held cell phone or portable device. Accumulating 11 points on your license within 18 months will result in a suspended license.
“Every day countless drivers, particularly teenagers and young adults, drive with their eyes on a screen rather than the road,” Cuomo said. “Distracted driving is nothing less than a lethal activity for the driver themselves, other drivers on the road and pedestrians.”
Sixty-six percent of drivers between 18 and 24 – and twenty percent of all drivers – send or receive texts while driving, according to a National Insurance study.
Currently, driving while using a portable electronic device – i.e. texting, using an i-pad, etc. – is a secondary offense carrying two points and a $150 fine. A secondary offense means that the driver can only be pulled over if he or she commits another offense such as speeding or passing a stop sign.
The new legislation would elevate these actions to primary offenses; meaning that being caught texting is reason enough to be pulled over.
“We need to impose a true deterrent to stop people from driving while using an electronic device and to keep our roads and citizens safe,” the governor said.
Sixteen percent of fatal accidents and 20 percent of people injured during a crash were a result of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Cuomo hopes for the legislation to be passed before the end of the legislative session which ends June 20.
