Home » Law and Legal Articles » New Jersey Severely Restricts Hand-Held Phones While Driving
New Jersey Severely Restricts Hand-Held Phones While Driving
New Jersey bans all drivers from using handheld telephones behind the wheel, whether for texting or talking.
December 11, 2011 /Law and Legal PR News/ -- New Jersey Severely Restricts Hand-Held Phones While Driving
Somerset County, New Jersey, has declared December 2011 "Distracted Driving Prevention Month" with the slogan "Put It Down" to raise awareness of the dangers of texting while driving.
The State of New Jersey is committed to controlling the deadly impact of cell phones on road safety. It (and eight other states plus the District of Columbia) bans all drivers from using handheld telephones behind the wheel, whether for texting or talking. An offense results in a $100 fine, but no driving points are assessed.
The state makes cell phone infractions while driving primary offenses, meaning drivers can be pulled over and cited for that behavior alone. Previously such tickets could only be written when drivers were stopped under suspicion of other offenses.
The law makes an exception for emergency calls. A driver may make a hand-held call if one hand is kept on the steering wheel to report an emergency outside the vehicle, a medical emergency, if in fear of him or herself or another person being the victim of a crime, or if he or she feels for his or her "life or safety."
Generally, hands-free devices may be used, except by bus drivers or novice drivers. However, a recent study from the University of Utah found that talking on a mobile unit, whether handheld or hands free, is equivalent in risk to that associated with drunk driving.
The federal government has a distracted-driving website that contains news, statistics and safety tips. Sponsored by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (part of the U.S. Department of Transportation), the site names text messaging as the most "alarming distraction" of them all because it takes a driver's sight, hands and thought away from the road.
Along the same lines, Carnegie Mellon University used brain imaging technology during driving simulation to observe that significant brain resources are diverted from driving to auditory comprehension when a driver listens to spoken language. This study only involved active listening without the additional speaking effort of a phone conversation, so brain resources are likely even more limited during an actual call.
If you are involved in a car accidentin New Jersey involving a driver with a cell phone, be sure to discuss with an experienced personal injury attorney the impact of that factor on a potential lawsuit.
Article provided by The Epstein Law Firm, P.A.
Visit us at www.theepsteinlawfirm.com
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