S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6481
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
March 4, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SCHROEDER -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the insurance law, in
relation to establishing A.J.'s law, which prohibits the writing,
sending or reading of text messages on a mobile telephone while driv-
ing
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
"A.J.'s law."
S 2. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 of section 1225-c of the vehicle
and traffic law, as added by chapter 69 of the laws of 2001, is amended
and a new paragraph (h) is added to read as follows:
(d) "Hand-held mobile telephone" shall mean a mobile telephone with
which a user engages in a call OR WRITES, SENDS OR READS A TEXT MESSAGE
using at least one hand.
(H) "WRITE, SEND OR READ A TEXT MESSAGE" SHALL MEAN USING A HAND-HELD
MOBILE TELEPHONE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANY PERSON OR DEVICE BY USING A
SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE OR OTHER SERVICE THAT PERMITS THE SENDING OF SHORT
MESSAGES COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS TEXT MESSAGES. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
SECTION AN E-MAIL SHALL BE CONSIDERED A TEXT MESSAGE.
S 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 1225-c of the vehicle
and traffic law, as added by chapter 69 of the laws of 2001, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall
operate a motor vehicle upon a public highway while using a mobile tele-
phone to engage in a call OR WRITE, SEND OR READ A TEXT MESSAGE while
such vehicle is in motion.
S 4. Subdivision 4 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law is
amended by adding a new paragraph (c-3) to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10046-01-9
A. 6481 2
(C-3) "CELL PHONE SAFETY" AWARENESS COMPONENT. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
PROVIDE IN THE PRE-LICENSING COURSE, SET FORTH IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS
SUBDIVISION A MANDATORY COMPONENT IN THE "CELL PHONE SAFETY" AWARENESS
EDUCATION AS A PREREQUISITE FOR OBTAINING A LICENSE TO OPERATE A MOTOR
VEHICLE. THE PURPOSE OF THE COMPONENT IS TO EDUCATE PROSPECTIVE LICEN-
SEES OF THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF DRIVING WHILE USING A CELL PHONE. FOR
THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, "CELL PHONE" SHALL BE DEFINED AS A
HAND-HELD MOBILE TELEPHONE WITH WHICH A USER ENGAGES A CALL OR WRITES,
SENDS OR READS A TEXT-BASED COMMUNICATION USING AT LEAST ONE HAND AS
DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH (H) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION TWELVE HUNDRED
TWENTY-FIVE-C OF THIS CHAPTER. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH A
CURRICULUM FOR SUCH "CELL PHONE SAFETY" COMPONENT WHICH SHALL INCLUDE,
BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, INFORMATION ON THE LAW RELATED TO DRIVING WHILE
USING A CELL PHONE, THE PENALTIES FOR USING A CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING
AND THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF DISTRACTED DRIVERS. IN DEVELOPING SUCH
CURRICULUM, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONSULT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSON-
NEL, HIGHWAY SAFETY OFFICIALS AND ANY OTHER GROUP THE COMMISSIONER
BELIEVES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE.
S 5. Paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) of subdivision 4 of section 502 of
the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 585 of the laws of
2002, are amended to read as follows:
(a) (i) Upon submission of an application for a driver's license, the
applicant shall be required to take and pass a test, or submit evidence
of passage of a test, with respect to the laws relating to traffic, the
laws relating to driving while ability is impaired and while intoxicat-
ed, under the overpowering influence of "Road Rage", [or] "Work Zone
Safety" awareness as defined by the commissioner OR "CELL PHONE SAFETY"
AS DEFINED BY THE COMMISSIONER, the ability to read and comprehend traf-
fic signs and symbols and such other matters as the commissioner may
prescribe, and to satisfactorily complete a course prescribed by the
commissioner of not less than four hours and not more than five hours,
consisting of classroom driver training and highway safety instruction
or the equivalent thereof. Such test shall include at least seven writ-
ten questions concerning the effects of consumption of alcohol or drugs
on the ability of a person to operate a motor vehicle and the legal and
financial consequences resulting from violations of section eleven
hundred ninety-two of this chapter, prohibiting the operation of a motor
vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such test shall
include one or more written questions concerning the devastating effects
of "Road Rage" on the ability of a person to operate a motor vehicle and
the legal and financial consequences resulting from assaulting, threat-
ening or interfering with the lawful conduct of another person legally
using the roadway. Such test shall include one or more questions
concerning the potential dangers to persons and equipment resulting from
the unsafe operation of a motor vehicle in a work zone. SUCH TEST SHALL
INCLUDE ONE OR MORE WRITTEN QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE HAZARDS AND LEGAL
CONSEQUENCES OF DRIVING WHILE USING A CELL PHONE. Such test shall be
administered by the commissioner. The commissioner shall cause the
applicant to take a vision test and a test for color blindness. Upon
passage of the vision test, the application may be accepted and the
application fee shall be payable.
(ii) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations estab-
lishing eligibility standards for the taking and passing of knowledge
tests in other than written form.
(b) Upon successful completion of the requirements set forth in para-
graph (a) of this subdivision which shall include an alcohol and drug
A. 6481 3
education component as described in paragraph (c) of this subdivision, a
"Road Rage" awareness component as described in paragraph (c-1) of this
subdivision and a "Work Zone Safety" awareness component as described in
paragraph (c-2) of this subdivision AND A "CELL PHONE SAFETY" COMPONENT
AS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (C-3) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, the commissioner
shall cause the applicant to take a road test in a representative vehi-
cle of a type prescribed by the commissioner which shall be appropriate
to the type of license for which application is made, except that the
commissioner may waive the road test requirements for certain classes of
applicants. The commissioner shall have the power to establish a program
to allow persons other than employees of the department to conduct road
tests in representative vehicles when such tests are required for appli-
cants to obtain a class A, B or C license. If she chooses to do so, she
shall set forth her reasons in writing and conduct a public hearing on
the matter. She shall only establish such a program after holding the
public hearing.
(d) The commissioner shall make available for distribution upon regis-
tration at each location where the pre-licensing course will be given,
instructional handbooks outlining the content of the entire curriculum
of the pre-licensing course including the information required to be
included in the course pursuant to paragraphs (c), (c-1) [and], (c-2)
AND (C-3) of this subdivision. The commissioner shall also provide for
the additional training of the instructors necessary for the competent
instruction of the alcohol and drug education and "Road Rage" awareness
[and], "Work Zone Safety" awareness, AND "CELL PHONE SAFETY" AWARENESS
subject matters of the pre-licensing course.
S 6. Subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance law, as amended
by chapter 751 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Any schedule of rates or rating plan for motor vehicle liability
and collision insurance submitted to the superintendent shall provide
for an appropriate reduction in premium charges for any insured for a
three year period after successfully completing a motor vehicle accident
prevention course, known as the national safety council's defensive
driving course, or any driver improvement course approved by the depart-
ment of motor vehicles as being equivalent to the national safety coun-
cil's defensive driving course, provided that, except as provided in
article twelve-C of the vehicle and traffic law, there shall be no
reduction in premiums for a self instruction defensive driving course or
a course which does not provide for actual classroom instruction for a
minimum number of hours as determined by the department of motor vehi-
cles. Such reduction in premium charges shall be subsequently modified
to the extent appropriate, based upon analysis of loss experience
statistics and other relevant factors. All such accident prevention
courses shall be monitored by the department of motor vehicles and shall
include components of instruction in "Road Rage" awareness [and], in
"Work Zone Safety" awareness AND "CELL PHONE SAFETY" AWARENESS as
defined by the commissioner of motor vehicles. The provisions of this
section shall not apply to attendance at a program pursuant to article
twenty-one of the vehicle and traffic law as a result of any traffic
infraction.
S 7. Subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance law, as amended
by chapter 585 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Any schedule of rates or rating plan for motor vehicle liability
and collision insurance submitted to the superintendent shall provide
for an appropriate reduction in premium charges for any insured for a
three year period after successfully completing a motor vehicle accident
A. 6481 4
prevention course, known as the national safety council's defensive
driving course, or any driver improvement course approved by the depart-
ment of motor vehicles as being equivalent to the national safety coun-
cil's defensive driving course, provided that in either event there
shall be no reduction in premiums for a self instruction defensive driv-
ing course or a course which does not provide for actual classroom
instruction for a minimum number of hours as determined by the depart-
ment of motor vehicles. Such reduction in premium charges shall be
subsequently modified to the extent appropriate, based upon analysis of
loss experience statistics and other relevant factors. All such accident
prevention courses shall be monitored by the department of motor vehi-
cles and shall include components of instruction in "Road Rage" aware-
ness [and], in "Work Zone Safety" awareness AND "CELL PHONE SAFETY"
AWARENESS as defined by the commissioner of motor vehicles. The
provisions of this section shall not apply to attendance at a program
pursuant to article twenty-one of the vehicle and traffic law as a
result of any traffic infraction.
S 8. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law, provided that the
amendments to subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance law made
by section six of this act shall be subject to the expiration and rever-
sion of such subsection as provided in section 5 of chapter 751 of the
laws of 2005, as amended, when upon such date section seven of this act
shall take effect.