The next time you respond to a text, you may end up with more than just a phone bill. Starting July 1st, anyone caught writing, sending or even reading a text message will be subjected to $150 dollar ticket.
County Executive Joanne Mahoney approved the legislation after there were no objections to the public pre-signing hearing on Monday April 20th. The legislation was is an important step in making the roads safer for drivers of all ages, Mahoney said.
The legislation hopes to strike a balance between the rights of the people and while improving the safety of the county’s population.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that an estimated 80% of accidents and 65% of near accidents are caused by distracted drivers. The number one distraction among drivers has been found to be their cell phones.
However, 1/3 of drivers under the age of 24 and 1/5 of drivers older than that say they still text while driving. A 2002 study by Harvard Center for Risk Analysis showed that 2,600 people die and over 330,000 are injured in cell phone related car accidents yearly.
Although Mahoney has approved the legislation, there is still the possibility that the by July 1st the legislation will be amended. Currently emergency officials are exempt from the restraints of the law but legislator Martin Masterpole is pushing for everyone to be responsible.
“If it is dangerous, it does not matter who you are,” said Masterpole.
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