What's happening
This bill sets fines for illegal electronic device use while driving near school zones.
Why it matters
Specific fines. Violations within 500 feet of a school zone would carry fines of $200 for a first conviction, $300 for a second and $500 for subsequent convictions.
Statewide reach. The penalties would apply near school zones defined by posted school signs along highways passing school buildings, entrances or exits.
Separate penalty rule. These violations would remain traffic infractions but follow the new fine schedule instead of the section’s existing penalty provision.
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Who cares
Drivers
Illegal electronic device use within 500 feet of a school zone would trigger the specified fines.
Police officers
The location of an electronic device violation would determine whether the school-zone penalty rule applies.
Traffic courts
Courts would apply the new fine schedule upon conviction for qualifying violations.
School communities
The bill targets electronic device use by drivers near signed school zones.
Headline styles
Set School-Zone Distracted Driving Fines
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7117
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 3, 2018
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to penalties for drivers using portable electronic devices while driving within five hundred feet of a school zone
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1225-d of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision six of this section, a violation of this section while driving within five hundred feet of a school zone shall be a traffic infraction and shall be punishable by a fine of two hundred dollars upon conviction of a first violation; upon conviction of a second violation, such violation shall be punished by a fine of three hundred dollars; upon conviction of a third or subsequent violation, such violation shall be punished by a fine of five hundred dollars.
(b) For the purposes of this subdivision, "school zone" shall mean the distance along a highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting on the highway for which a school sign (S1-1) has been posted pursuant to this chapter and in compliance with the manual on uniform traffic control devices maintained pursuant to section sixteen hundred eighty of this chapter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13505-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to penalties for drivers using portable electronic devices while driving within five hundred feet of a school zone
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to increase penalties, and therefore decrease the use, of portable electronic devices while driving within five hundred feet of a school zone.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of this bill amends section 1225-d of the vehicle and traffic law by adding a new subdivision 7 which creates a new category of violation for using a portable electronic device while driving within five hundred feet of a school zone. Persons who commit such an infrac- tion will be liable to pay a fine of two hundred dollars upon conviction of a first violation, three hundred dollars upon conviction of a second violation, and five hundred dollars upon a conviction of a third or subsequent violations.
Section 2 of this bill states that this act shall take effect sixty days after it shall have become a law
Justification
Distracted driving, mainly when using portable electronic devices such as cellular phones, is an ongoing problem in our state. When this dangerous behavior takes place in a school zone, it puts the lives of children, teachers, and parents at risk.
A new study published by Zendrive underscores the importance of creating additional penalties to curb this behavior specifically in school zones. The study discovered that one in three drivers are engaged in unsafe behavior while driving in a school zone. Further, the study found that three counties in New York State are amongst the worst in the country for distracted driving in school zones.
Several states across the country have already enacted laws to curb this behavior, including Illinois and Texas. It is imperative that New York join these states to ensure that the roads around our schools are safe.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect sixty days after it shall have become a law
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.