New York Injury Lawyer Blog

The state's ban on texting while driving begins this month with the hope of reducing New York car accidents.

The New York City car accident attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool continue to monitor the issue as studies increasingly point to the dangers of texting while driving.

The new law forbids the use of all mobile devices for reading, typing or sending text messages while driving, according to Fox News.

Law enforcement can stop drivers and issue a $150 citation if caught committing another traffic violation while using a hand-held device, according to the New York Post.

A student at the University of Utah found text messaging drivers were at eight-times greater risk of a crash. And a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found truckers sending text messages were 23 times more likely to cause a crash or near crash.

Earlier this fall the federal government held a national distracted driving summit and President Obama banned all federal employees from texting while driving on the job.

As the dangers of distracted driving become more apparent, motorists are supporting such bans in greater numbers. A New York Times/CBS poll released over the weekend found 97 percent of Americans support prohibiting texting while driving and 80 percent support a ban on the use of hand-held phones while driving. Half said punishment for texting while driving should be as severe as the penalties for drunk driving.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 5,870 people were killed and more than 500,000 injured last year in crashes cuased by driver distraction, often cell phones or other mobile devices.

In October, the New York Injury Lawyer blog posted an update on the Taxi and Limousine Commission's tough new enforcement of an existing ban prohibiting New York City taxi cab drivers from using cell phones while driving.