Author: Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP
“Personal Injury is All We Do”
Suffolk County Accident Lawyers
With distracted driving now a greater concern than drunk driving, many states have passed cell phone and texting bans. New York has one of the strictest laws in the nation with the texting ban it passed in July 2011 that made texting a primary offense. A primary offense allows law enforcement to pull a car over if the officer observes that the driver is texting while driving. The new law gives authorities much more power to crack down on distracted driving. However, the effectiveness of any law rests on its enforcement.
Distracted Driving Statistics
Statistics show New York’s new texting law is already making a difference. WGRZ, Channel Two News reported that texting tickets increased from 3,248 in 2010 to 7,495 tickets in 2011. Violations of the new law add three points to the driver’s record and can result in a $150 fine.
Of all New York counties in 2011, Suffolk County issued 5,355 tickets, which were the highest number of tickets issued for talking on cell phones while driving.
In addition to preventing accidents, tighter regulation on texting and distracted driving can aid in substantiating fault in cases brought by victims of car accidents against distracted drivers.
At Rosenberg and Gluck, our attorneys have decades of experience handling Long Island car accidents . Putting strong advocacy on your side increases your chances of receiving the compensation to which you are entitled.
