WASHINGTON-The New Jersey Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation to crack down on drivers already subject to a statewide ban on handheld cell-phone use by operators of motor vehicles.
The state Senate passed 35-to-0 a bill that would make a violation of the existing driver handheld prohibition a primary offense rather than a secondary office. The bill was referred to the General Assembly’s Law and Public Safety Committee.
“Cell phones have become a sign of the times in today’s fast-paced world. But there’s a time and a place for everything,” said Sen. Richard Codey (D), the bill’s sponsor and president of the New Jersey Senate. “Drivers already have enough distractions. Nine times out of 10, if someone cuts me off on the road, they are usually on their cell phone, not paying careful attention to the road. When you’re driving down the Turnpike at 65 miles per hour, adding a cell phone to the mix is not only inappropriate, it’s downright dangerous.”
Under the Codey legislation, a police officer could write a summons to a motorist simply for using a handheld device while driving. The current ban is enforced as a secondary offense, meaning another offense must occur first for a policeman to write a ticket for violating the hand-held wireless device restriction.
If passed by the New Jersey legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jon Corzine (D), the ban would not go into effect until four months after enactment in order to allow time for public education. Corzine, a former U.S. senator from New Jersey, and Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) backed legislation in 2001 to outlaw driver use of handheld wireless phones on a nationwide basis. The bill did not move, however.
Meantime, the Washington state Senate passed legislation making it illegal to make and receive calls on handheld phones while driving. The measure, championed by Sen. Tracey Eide (D), is pending in the House.
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, the District of Columbia and various cities have banned the use of handheld phones while driving, although hands-free cell phone devices are still allowed. However, federal regulators and university researchers have consistently found that hands-free gadgets do not improve driver concentration, and actually could make the situation worse.
