Police watching out for 'distracted drivers'

Oct 09, 2014 at 03:11 pm by Observer-Review


Police watching out for 'distracted drivers' ADVERTISEMENT

Police watching out for 'distracted drivers'

FINGER LAKES--With the push during the last several years to reduce the amount of texting related accidents on the road, distracted driving incidents have been a focus of law enforcement officials. In Schuyler County, Watkins Glen Police Chief Tom Struble said distracted driving incidents have declined during the past year, but added it is still a concern with more people texting as opposed to talking on their cell phones. Struble said his department has a grant from the state to send patrols out to exclusively watch for distracted drivers, saying on average they issue between 10 and 15 tickets a month.
"It's always an issue, but it's getting better," Struble said. "Over the last year the state has done a nice push through advertisement and through enforcement campaigns to reduce the number of people driving distracted. Our department itself has a grant issued through the state that addresses that issue where we send patrols out to do nothing but look for distracted driving violations."
Struble said he does not see many accidents throughout the year related to distracted driving, but adds rear-end accidents are the most frequent ones caused by distracted drivers.
"The state is really pushing to try to curtail the number of distracted drivers, and personally I think it is a major issue that needs to keep being addressed," Struble said.
Sheriff William Yessman said his department has also been on the patrol for distracted drivers, adding more penalties and enforcement would be best to deter people from using their phones on the road.
"Distracted driving is an ongoing problem," Yessman said. This has been an issue since cell phones became popular. I see people of all ages using mobile devices while driving. The only real way to discourage the use of these devices would be stiffer penalties and strict enforcement. Maybe even some type of Victim Impact Panel, so that offenders can hear from someone who lost a loved one due to distracted driving."
"Punishment for any offense is decided by the Justice Court that hears the case, and the judge has the final say," Yessman said.
The sheriff said while they have not been able to identify many accidents in the county related to cell phone use, in some cases it is hard to determine the cause of an accident.
"We haven't had many accidents with the use of a cell phone being the contributing factor, but many times we have to rely on the truthfulness of the driver if there are no other witnesses to the accident," Yessman said.
As of July 1, 2013, the changes to the cell phone/texting laws for drivers with a probationary license, Class DJ, Class MJ or a learner permit indicate a conviction will result in a mandatory 60-day driver license or permit suspension. A second such conviction within six months will result in a revocation of at least six months of a probationary license, or a revocation of at least 60 days for a Class DJ or MJ driver license or learner permit. He said effective, July 26, 2013 fines for mobile phone/portable electronic device use while driving increased.
The offenses are as follows:
• For a first offense, $50 to $150.
• For a second offense committed within 18 months, $50 to $200.
• For a third or subsequent offense committed within 18 months, $50 to $400.
Spike said the surcharge for these violations that occur on or after July 26 is up to $93.
State police especially have been concerned with enforcing laws to reduce distracted driving. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also supported cracking down on distracted drivers in the state, passing laws and even installing texting areas along some highways where drivers can pull over to use their phones without risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012, 3,328 people nationwide were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and 421,000 were injured. A total of 10 percent of fatal crashes were reported as distraction-affected. During the last "Operation Hang Up" from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 of 2013, state police reported issuing more than 875 tickets.
"The message is clear -- distracted driving is deadly and it will simply not be tolerated on New York roads," Cuomo said in a news release. "With stricter laws and crack downs like this one we are working to make New York a safer state for all our drivers. Vigilance is particularly important as young motorists develop habits that will stay with them throughout their lifetime. I urge all New Yorkers to hang up, keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel so that no one has to unnecessarily suffer the pain of losing a loved one at the hands of a text."

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