The Assembly Budget Committee tomorrow will consider a bill which would increase fines for motorists who get caught more than once while driving and talking on a hand-held device or texting. “We need to send a louder message that cell phone use while driving is a serious, and often deadly, hazard,” said Annette Quijano (D-Union), one of the bill’s sponsors. “Most people know it’s wrong and have probably had a few scares themselves, but they continue to do it because they think they can get away with it. Hopefully stiffer penalties will change our way of thinking.”
“Cell phone use while driving, particularly texting, has become almost an epidemic these days, a very dangerous epidemic,” said Spencer (D-Essex/Union). “It’s our hope that the increased fines and suspension imposed by this bill will act as a further deterrent to these dangerous habits.”
Under current law, the fine for using a hand-held electronic device while driving is $100. This bill would increase the fine for a first offense to $200; the fine for a second offense to $250-400 a second offense; and to $500-600 for third or subsequent offenses. The bill would also impose a 60-90 day driver’s license suspension for persons convicted of the offense for a third or subsequent time, at the court’s discretion, as well as a three motor vehicle penalty points.
The bill was also sponsored by L. Grace Spencer, Wayne DeAngelo, and Angel Fuentes.
Studies have shown that texting while driving is riskier than driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. One study by the Transport Research Laboratory found that the reaction time of motorists who were texting dramatically decreased by 35 percent, much worse than those who drank alcohol at the legal limit (12 percent slower) or those who had used marijuana (21 percent slower).
In addition, the research found that drivers who sent or read text messages were more prone to drift out of their lane, with steering control by texters 91 percent poorer than that of drivers devoting their full concentration to the road.
“No situation is that urgent that it warrants endangering yourself or others while driving,” said DeAngelo (D-Mercer/Middlesex). “Most of us got by much of our lives without phones in the car. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to put that habit on hold while we’re driving now.”
“Think about how many times you’re driving and you see someone looking down, not paying attention to the road, and they’re busy texting. All it takes is a split second with your eyes off the road to cause a serious accident or even a death,” said Fuentes (D-Camden/Gloucester).
However, under the bill, if a person is convicted of a second offense more than 10 years after the first offense they would be treated as a first time offender for sentencing purposes. Similarly, a person convicted of a third offense would be treated as a second-time offender for sentencing purposes if the third offense occurs more than ten years after the second offense. TLS.
finally
bout time. please do the same for blowing stop signs . blowing a stop in my opinion is way more common in this town.
The township will get lots of revenue from this plan. People in this town don’t know how to drive without a phone stuck to their ear.
to#1 & 2…. could not have said better myself.
We should be able to solve any fiscal problems that Lakewood may have if this law goes into affect. The amount of revenue that this would generate for Lakewood could be staggering.
BIG $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for Lakewood!!!
It’s about time, it’s crazy how many ppl “drive while talking on cell phones”…..
Please, please send an officer to Raintree on a Sunday afternoon. You’ll find “househunters” all on their phones, not looking where they’re going.
Lakewood=goldmine
if there are children in the car, they should be charged with endangering too!
about time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know of 3 instances in the past year where people got tickets who were not talking on the phone.
great idea- now if only lakewood would uphold it.. i doubt anything will change.