Remember: Texting While Driving In New York Is a Primary Offense
Law enforcement officials across the country are handing out an increasing amount of citations for texting while driving.
Nine states made the specific form of distracted driving a primary offense in 2010, while four others followed suit during this year. In total, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) cites that 31 of 34 states with laws prohibiting texting and driving have made the violation a primary offense. In states where texting is a primary offense, police and highway officers are permitted to pull over drivers for that specific violation alone (a secondary offense requires that officers possess a more pressing reason for pulling an individual over).
Since New York stepped up its punishment for texting behind the wheel in 2009, according to reporting by USA Today, the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) calculated it has given out 4,634 citations this year through the middle of September, surpassing the 3,248 violations in 2010 in its entirety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released data this summer that showed there was less texting while driving in Syracuse, New York due to heightened awareness and enforcement during the previous year.
One spokesperson for the NY DMV noted that before primary seat belt laws became effective, not many individuals buckled up; while now, after the law has had time to enact change, seat belt compliance is more than 90 percent. Hopefully one day soon we will see the same kind of change from the primary texting laws. Have you or a loved one been injured in a car accident resulting from a distracted driver’s negligence? If so, contact the Manhattan auto accident lawyers with Wingate, Rusotti & Shapiro. Call (212)986-7353 for a complimentary case consultation today.
