Proposed Law Could Make Applying Makeup, Petting Dogs, Reading Illegal While Driving
A bill in the state legislature expands the law on distracted driving to include a number of other possible offenses beyond just phone use. The House bill had originally would…
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 30: A driver uses a phone while behind the wheel of a car on April 30, 2016 in New York City. As accidents involving drivers using phones or other personal devices mount across the country, New York lawmakers have proposed a new test called the Textalyzer to help curb mobile phone usage behind the wheel. Similar to a Breathalyzer test, the Textalyzer would allow police to request phones from drivers involved in accidents and then determine if the phone had been used while the drivers operated their vehicles. The controversial bill is currently in the early committee stage. According to statistics, In 2014 431,000 people were injured and 3,179 were killed in car accidents involving distracted drivers. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesA bill in the state legislature expands the law on distracted driving to include a number of other possible offenses beyond just phone use.
The House bill had originally would have made cellular phone use a primary offense. The Senate bill, on the other hand, takes things a little further.
The Senate bill would include: reading, writing, performing personal grooming, applying a beauty aid or similar products, interacting with pets or unsecured cargo, using a personal wireless communications device, or engaging in any other activity, conduct, task, or action that causes distraction. (Read Senate Bill 76 here)
The last part of that text, "or engaging in any other activity, conduct, task, or action that causes distraction", could potentially give law enforcement the power to pull someone over for almost anything the officer believes is distracting.
Currently, law enforcement may not pull over a driver for using a wireless phone, but can only write a citation for the offense if the driver was pulled over for something else.
