Senate Bill S6266

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S6266

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to requiring an educational awareness campaign relative to
the dangers of acting as a pedestrian while distracted by using a
mobile device

 PURPOSE :

To require that the New York City Department of Transportation develop
a public education campaign relative to the dangers of acting as a
pedestrian while distracted by texting, or other uses a mobile device.
As part of this campaign, an emphasis shall be placed upon the
particular harms inherent in operating a mobile device while crossing
an intersection and/or walking in or near a street.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1: adds a new Section 19-193 to the New York City
Administrative Code.

Section 2: sets forth the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :
              

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in traffic accidents
caused by operators of motor vehicles who are distracted by texting,
or otherwise using mobile phones. According to Distraction.gov, the
federal government's website aimed at preventing distracted driving,
3,154 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted
drivers. To combat this problem, Governor Cuomo and The Legislature
have taken acting to ban texting while driving in New York, as well as
establishing 'Text Stops' along the State's highways to provide a safe
location for drivers to communicate using their mobile devices.

As distracted driving has led to an increase in injuries and
fatalities, it so too is the case that pedestrians are often engaged
in texting and other uses of their mobile devices while crossing busy
intersections and other thoroughfares. In an August 2015 report by the
Governors Highway Safety Association, national pedestrian fatalities
increased by 15 percent from 2009 to 2013 with 4,735 deaths in 2013
alone. Additionally, the percentage of pedestrians killed while using
cell phones has risen, from less than 1 percent in 2004 to more than
3.5 percent in 2010. All signs point unfortunately point to an
increasing trend.

In the especially busy streets across all five boroughs of New York
City, 269 traffic fatalities were recorded in 2014, in addition to
thousands of injuries stemming from traffic accidents. In this perfect
storm of dangerous traffic conditions and an increase in unsafe,
distracted walking, it is appropriate for the City Department of
Transportation to engage in a public education campaign to bring
widespread attention to this important issue.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPACT :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.