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Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 5
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Signed chap.109
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.198
- Substituted for A8106
- Referred to codes
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1177
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- 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 the use of portable electronic devices
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Harvey Weisenberg
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5643
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the use of portable electronic devices while driving
Purpose
This legislation would make the texting while driving offense a primary violation.
Summary of provisions
Amends subdivision 6 of section 1225-d of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter 403 of the laws of 2009 amending the vehicle and traffic law to strike language that prevents texting while driving from being a primary violation of the vehicle and traffic law.
Amends subdivision 4 of section 1225-d of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by chapter 403 of the laws of 2009, to make a technical amendment to create consistency and match rebuttable evidence language in section 1225-C of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Justification
The explosion of the popularity of texting created a new driver distraction that can lead to tragedy. Texting while driving increases the chance of getting into an accident. A person simply cannot drive attentively when searching for the needed letters or symbols for texting.
According to studies done by AAA, any activity that takes a driver's attention off the road for more than two seconds can double a driver's risk of a crash. According to Zogby Poll, 66% of people between 18-24 send text messages while behind the wheel. A Harris Interactive poll found that 91% of Americans think that driving while texting is as dangerous as drunk driving and 89% of those polled support a ban. The seriousness of this growing problem mandates that the texting and driving law be a primary violation in New York State.
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.