What's happening
This bill requires accident reports in New York to indicate if a mobile phone was in use at the time of the accident.
Why it matters
This bill addresses the growing concern of distracted driving by ensuring that accident investigations specifically record if a mobile phone was in use, potentially highlighting the role of phone distraction in traffic incidents.
Mandating this information could help identify patterns and trends in accidents related to mobile phone use, providing data that could inform future road safety policies, enforcement strategies, or public awareness campaigns.
The new reporting requirement may also affect legal and insurance outcomes for drivers involved in accidents, as the documented use of a mobile phone could become relevant evidence in determining fault or liability.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Track Phone Use in Crashes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- 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.
Track Phone Use in Crashes
In Senate Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Toby Ann Stavisky
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2647
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 20, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COLTON, HOOPER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring accident reports to indicate whether a mobile phone was in use at the time of the accident
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 603 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 432 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
1. Every police or judicial officer to whom an accident resulting in injury to a person shall have been reported, pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this chapter, shall immediately investigate the facts, or cause the same to be investigated, and report the matter to the commissioner forthwith; provided, however, that the report of the accident is made to the police officer or judicial officer within five days after such accident. Every coroner, or other official performing like functions, shall likewise make a report to the commissioner with respect to all deaths found to have been the result of motor vehicle or motorcycle accidents. Such report shall include information on the width and length of trucks, tractors, trailers and semitrailers, which are in excess of ninety-five inches in width or thirty-four feet in length and which are involved in such accidents, whether such accident took place in a work area and whether it was being operated with an overweight or overdimension permit. Such report shall distinctly indicate and include information as to whether the inflatable restraint system inflated and deployed. Such report shall distinctly indicate and include information as to whether a mobile telephone, as such term is defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section twelve hundred twenty-five-c of this chapter, was in use at the time of said accident. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be deemed to preclude a police officer from
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07802-01-7
A. 2647 2
reporting any other accident which, in the judgment of such police officer, would be required to be reported to the commissioner by the operator of a vehicle pursuant to section six hundred five of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law, provided, however, any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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