As Memorial Day weekend approaches and more people will be traveling to attend parades, community events and family gatherings, New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo is pushing for stiffer penalties for those who drive distracted.

 

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer.” This period stretches until Labor Day and is historically a dangerous time for motorists, especially teens, with crash rates spiking significantly[1]. To target distracted and impaired driving, law enforcement agencies across the state often ramp up patrols around this holiday given the increase in vehicle traffic on the road.

 

The dangers of distracted driving were highlighted earlier this month after a pickup truck crashed into the rear of a Madison Central School District bus that was stopped with its warning lights activated.

 

According to State Police[2], the operator of the pickup truck became trapped in the vehicle and was extricated by emergency responders before being transported to Wynn Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Two juvenile passengers from the pickup truck were also transported for evaluation. The driver of the bus and two juvenile passengers aboard the bus were transported to Hamilton Hospital with minor injuries.

 

As a result of an investigation by State Police, the driver of the pickup truck was following too closely and was distracted while operating the vehicle. He was issued numerous traffic tickets.

 

To hopefully prevent accidents such as this from occurring again and to better protect New Yorkers on the road, Sen. Griffo has introduced legislation that would create a more severe consequence for those who are using a cellphone or portable electronic device while driving.

 

The legislation (S.10323) would create the offense of aggravated distracted driving. Individuals convicted of the offense could face fines ranging from $500 to $1,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both. In addition, a conviction could result in the revocation of the individual’s driver’s license for six months.

 

Sen. Griffo’s bill is in the Senate’s Transportation Committee and would go into effect immediately if it is signed into law.

 

“Distracted driving is becoming more of a problem each day with people paying more attention to their phones and other distractions rather than what is happening on the road,” Sen. Griffo said. “Not only does this put other drivers and pedestrians at risk, but also the driver and any passengers in their car. It is important that we discourage motorists from engaging in dangerous and careless practices and that we encourage them to place more attention on the road and their surroundings so they can better keep themselves and others safe while driving.”

 

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