What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.529
- Rules report cal.529
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to codes
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to driving while using a portable electronic device
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Martin Malavé Dilan
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:A10063 REVISED 4/5/2010
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the use of portable electronic devices
Purpose
This bill would increase highway safety by making the ban on using portable electronic devices while driving a primary offense.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of this bill would amend Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) §1225-d(6) by deleting language requiring that a summons for operating a motor vehicle while using a portable electronic device can only be issued when the driver has also committed another traffic violation.
Section 2 of this bill provides for an immediate effective date.
Existing law
Currently, VTL §1225-d prohibits a driver from using a portable electronic device such as a cell phone, or testing, while oper- ating a motor vehicle. However, a violation is subject to only secondary enforcement; that is, a motorist cannot be stopped and issued a summons for the sole reason of using a portable electronic device. Instead, a driver can only be stopped if he or she has also committed another traf- fic violation.
Justification
Distracted driving is a major safety concern. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 16% of fatal accidents in 2008 were due to distracted driving. Text-messaging while driving is especially dangerous and prevalent. According to a Nation- wide Insurance study, an estimated 20% of all drivers, and 66% of driv- ers aged 18 to 24, are sending or receiving text messages while behind the wheel. A recently released study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that truck drivers who were testing were 23 times more at risk of a crash or near crash, while another study compared reaction times when a driver was testing to when a driver was intoxicated, and found that the reaction times while testing were worse.
As these studies make clear, any kind of distraction while driving is dangerous, and testing while driving is one of the most dangerous distractions possible. Although VTL §1225-d prohibits testing and the use of a portable electronic device while driving, it only provides for a penalty if the usage is in addition to another offense.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.