NORWICH – With a new law going into effect this week that puts stricter penalties on teens who are caught texting while driving, many have high hopes that new drivers will make better decisions while behind the wheel.
The new law, which was passed as part of the state’s 2014-2015 budget, is implemented to crack down on youthful and inexperienced drivers who become distracted by their cell phones while driving. Under the law, new and young drivers convicted of texting while driving will have their license suspended for up to 120 days on the first offense, and revoked for a year if convicted of a second or subsequent offense within six months of reissuance of the license.
“I think this an awesome initiative because more and more research is showing the dangers of texting while driving and comparing those dangers to drinking while driving,” said Kelly Collins-Colosi, mentor of the Norwich City School District Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). “This is going to be great for students, especially ones who are still learning how to be responsible while driving.”
Collins-Colosi said while many students are enlightened through the “Eyes Forward Safe Driving Campaign,” some simply don’t realize the influence that texting has on driving ability.
“I think there still has to be a lot of education to come for them to get the full impact,” she said, adding that students will push the education component in SADD and the Norwich chapter of YES! Leads. “With legislation changing, we may make that more of an education piece this year.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 who are involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. The age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
Also noteworthy, a telephone survey conducted by AT&T found that 98 percent of drivers who own cell phones and text said they are aware of the dangers of texting while driving. Regardless, approximately 67 percent say they read text messages while stopped at a red light or stop sign, and more than 25 percent say they have sent a text while driving. This according to a recent report from the Associated Press.
Governor Cuomo stated this week, “Driving habits are developed early, and we are sending a message that texting while driving is unsafe, unacceptable and downright dangerous. There have been far too many avoidable tragedies due to texting while driving and with these new penalties, we are seeking to change the behavior of young drivers now, and make New York’s roadways safer for all.”