Do you live in New Jersey and talk on a handheld phone, or text-message while driving? If you do, beware that starting on March 1, it becomes a primary offense. Currently, it is a secondary offense and police must have already pulled you over for something else before writing a ticket for using the phone. New Jersey joins California, Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C. in passing such a law.
The existing law in New Jersey makes talking on a cell phone a secondary offense. Violators will face a $100 fine if convicted of either offense. A recent study showed that 73 percent of drivers used hand-held phones and 20 percent text-messaged while driving.
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20 Responses
besides the fact it’s basically not possible for a brain to concentrate holding a phone, talking and driving at the same time. it’s even worse texting. this law should be issued everywhere.
I think this is an excellent idea. It’s about time the state make a harsher punishment for this offense. I live in Lakewood, where the driving is beyond out of control. How many times have you seen a woman in a van filled with children holding a cell phone yapping away without a care in the world, or a guy swerving left and right, nearly hitting you because he is using his cell phone. It does not matter who you are, if you are using a cell phone while driving you are not fully concentrating on the road. You are operating a machine weighing around 3000 pounds or more, and a delayed reaction time can cost a life, which could have been avoided had you not been using a cell phone. NO ONE is the exception to this rule. Put your phones down people, it can save a life.
Great law to say the least!
I just figured out how to solve the state’s financial crisis…. Starting March 1st enforce the cell phone law in Lakewood and the state will be in the black in 30 days from all the ticket revenue.
While I’m sure this a good thing, I’d like to bring up one point: whenever I drive near a cop – most of the time, they’re talking on a cell. If it’s really such a dangerous thing, it should be illegal for them also!!
this is a very serious issue ALL over.
I have the opportunity to do parking lot detail for one of the Yeshivas that I send my children to. I sent a letter to the parents asking for their cooperation in getting everyone to their cars and out of the parking lot safely. I included the following comment:
“Please, hang up your cell phone before driving through the parking lot, if you need to complete the call, please do so prior to entering the parking lot or driveway area. I would rather stay late assisting your child to get to your vehicle safely than have your child in an unsafe situation. Yes, this applies to you, not just to everyone else.”
I thought that this was a resonable request. each day that I need to do parking lot detail, I stop at least 4 or 5 drivers and tell them to hang up their phones. granted a small %, but it only takes one person to C’VS cause a very serious problem.
for all those that are going to jump on the fact that I told people to continue driving on public Streets while yakking on their phones my response is: If they are sadly so foolish to do this, there is nothing that I can do stop this. once they pull onto the Yeshiva property, they are in “my” domain and there I have a right to stop them based on my responsibility for the childrens safety.
Have a wonderful Shabbos to all my friends out there!
To lgbg #1 and yoshi #2 and to all of you that think that this is a good law I ask the following questions?
Why is a bluetooth any better?
If shmoozing while driving is a no-no, why is blue tooth or headset any better. You are not concentrating on the road but on the phone call.
I await your sage responses.
very thoughtful comments I will not text or even tak on my cell bli neder while driving we should all try and better ourselves -)
One more reason why I think this is a BAD law:
Now people will think that yapping while driving is OK provided they are on some form of a hands free devise.
But Morai V’rabosai it is not the hand that is the trouble.
It is the Mouth.
Lets be honest for a moment– did ever get so engrossed on the phone that you forgot were you were driving?
Was it because you were HOLDING the phone or was it because you were TALKING on it.
Point to Ponder. (with my sincere apologies to Readers Digest for infringing on their trademark slogan)
it depends who is driving some people just should not talk or txt while driving but others can some people can txt with out even looking and dont loose concentration
leonard613, you know what they say when you assume….But since you so urgently need an explanation, I will gladly elaborate on my previous comment. I still stand by what I wrote that an individual who is talking on his/her cell phone, should be punished and yes bluetooth & other hands free devices should be illegal to use as well while driving, but it would be a tad bit difficult for cops to see such devices in use, because they can be so well hidden. So in the mean time let the cops bust the people using regular cell phones until they come up with some way to determine when someone is using hands free.
I believe that in an ideal world all cell phone use would not be allowed while driving. If that is not done then ban use without an earpiece, it uses one of your two arms and hands.
Driving within the laws may help if CvS you are the cause of an accident while speaking on a cellphone.
I think this whole law is stupid. With the logic that one loses concentration while speaking on a cell phone they should therfore ban listening to the radio, touching the dial of the radio, eating a sandwich and doing anything else other than looking at the road ahead of you.
I think it should be passed in Israel, mabey there would be less accidents.
Is it also illegal if I use a Kosher Phone?
According to the “National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” The number one cause of car accidents are, “Distracted Drivers.” So the reasons behind this law are quite clear. They are trying to minimize the amount of distractions while behind the wheel, which will hopefully reduce the amount of car accidents.
See the important, related, recent news article here at Theyeshivaworld dated Feb-18 titled “Cell Phone-Cancer Link Discovered By Israeli Scientist”.
You can find this article by clicking “previous stories” at the bottom of the home page or by typeing “Cell Cancer” in the search bar.
texting is much more dangrous then talking bec even if u text without looking u have to look at somepoint and ur using at least 1 hand u can talk w/ the phone up against the ear w/o a hand——btw whenever i see s/o on the phone when driving i stop and let the car do what it needs to do and i dont cut them off bec chances r they dont see u
rebshalom, “Sadly, I was the victim of said law.” please explain, were you driving while texting and or talking on a handheld device? you got caught and had to pay a fine? gladly, you didn’t kill someone (or even yourself)
leonard613
Firstly, your only adding to my point your not contradicting me.
Secondly, if you want to get into the topic of a bluetooth- the first time i saw someone with a bluetooth i thought he was literally talking to himself. Then i saw this wierd object on his ear. Seriously i thought he was a martian from space. A bluetooth is not a total solution. However it takes care of the problem of holding onto ones phone. This way the driver trying to flick the blinker, and hold onto the wheel, can use both hands and not one hand and a foot.