Suffolk County lawmakers move to nix texting while driving

Lawmakers in Long Island's Suffolk County want to join some state governments that are sending motorists a message: Stop texting while driving.

The county Legislature passed a measure Tuesday that would bar drivers from tapping out text messages while behind the wheel, unless they used voice-recognition technology. Violators could be fined $150.

County Executive Steve Levy has 30 days to approve or veto the proposal.

New Jersey and Washington State have banned text-messaging while driving. The National Conference of State Legislatures says lawmakers in at least 23 other states are considering doing so. Read more

[cellphone]

I think it is a great idea. Whenever there is someone driving stupid in front of me, it's always because they are using a cell phone.

[Tom from Riverhead]

What next, how about applying make-up, and maybe eating, drinking hot coffee, talking to the children in the back seat, hell how about banning children in auto's, they can be a distraction. It all sounds a little like communism. So much for freedom.

[Dawn from Nesconset]

That's all well and good, however, not enough is being done to enforce the ban on using hand-held cell phones. I can't tell you how many people I see on a daily basis chatting on their phones while driving. So, I assume it will be the same for the texting. I even saw a female officer talking on her cell phone while driving, in her patrol car, and it didn't appear to me that she was on "official" business. We live in narcistic society, where a lot of people feel that rules just don't apply to them.

[Don]

I didnt understand the need for a specific law about cell phones and I don't understand it now. It should simply state "distracted driver". If you can't walk and chew gum at the same time, should we make THAT illegal as well? Its simple, the law should state any activity other than driving that causes the driver to veer attention from the act of focusing while driving. Its simple, whether its texting, eating, smoking, make up, READING, etc. pull over if it takes away from your ability to focus on the road. There...I have just saved our lawmakers millions of dollars in legal wording and time wasted to vote on the same laws with different verbs.

[D Kremm]

Yes it is dangerous to text and drive. I agree there should be a law against it. But shouldn't there also be a law made for the putting on of make-up, sending/receiving a fax,typing on the laptop, reading the newspaper, music that makes the cars all around shake, and the best one, changing clothes while driving? It just seems to me that , for some reason, everyone feels talking on the cell phone is so much more dangerous than any of thses other things. While I do agree it is very dangerous to text and drive, it's far more unsafe to do any of the other actions I mentioned. I would imagine there have been far less accidents while texting as there have been for changing shirts or putting on eye liner. Mainly because the latter has been around for far longer.
My question is, where is the lobbying for all those other actions? When we get behind the wheel we are not only responsible for ourselves but also everyone around us. Driving a two ton vehicle/weapon should be the primary focus of the driver. If that isn't possible then a choice has been made and the driver should be held accountable. This law should be for any action that distracts one from driving. They all increase the possiblilty of someone getting hurt or killed.