One of the scariest things you can come across while driving down the road is a car being driven by someone who is looking down at their lap — and the ghastly glow of a cellphone screen is lighting up their face. You instantly know: this person is texting while driving, and anything could happen at any moment while you are driving near them. They could fail to brake at the right time. They could swerve out of their lane. They could miss a red light.
While texting while driving has almost replaced the conventional definition of distracted driving, both topics — texting while driving and distracted driving — are their own separate issues, and they both pose significant threats to people out on the road. When someone is driving their car and they are distracted by a cellphone, some people in the backseat, or even their own thoughts, it makes for a less-focused and more-dangerous driver.
So since this is widely know, what types of laws are on the books in the state of New York to dissuade people from using cellphones while they are behind the wheel of a motor vehicle?
Well, there are two simple and all-encompassing laws in New York: there is a ban on handheld devices for all drivers, and there is a ban on texting for all drivers.
Unfortunately, people still drive while distracted and they still drive while using cellphone. If these people cause an accident, they could be held liable in a civil court by the victims in the crash.
Source: Distraction.gov, “State Laws,” Accessed Dec. 9, 2015