We already know cell phone use and texting while driving are banned. Now a New Jersey legislator from Jersey City wants to make it illegal to program a global positioning system while behind the wheel.
Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith’s bill would allow only voice-activated GPS devices to be programmed while driving. Smith, who is a Hudson County undersheriff, wants to impose the same $100 fine that applies to cell phones and text messaging the Daily Record reports.
Of course, voice activated GPS devices are more expensive, and the alternative would be to pull over while programming. Instruction manuals already urge motorists not to tinker with the devices while driving.
Other legislators favor a broader prohibition that would make it careless driving if you do anything that distracts you from watching the road.
(New Jersey Newsroom)
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5 Responses
Although it may not be popular to say this.. but I think he is correct. As for me, I still enjoy reading a map and learning about where I am heading towards and what are the surrounding roads.
It may be old fashioned but this method still works just fine for me and if you belong to any AAA club the maps are free.
My buildt in Toyota GPS will not permit me to program it while driving.
I have to agree with #1- I use a GPS system whenever I can, but I’ll either have the passenger program it or wait for a red light, etc. Taking your eyes off the road, even for a split-second, can be fatal, and I’ve been in people’s cars where, if they had looked at their GPS system mere moments after they did, they would have hit someone.
But what about drinking a cup of coffee or changing the radio? These kinds of laws are in a shade of gray.
Why should they do that people will drive slow if they don’t know where there going. I think it’s crazy.