The Suffolk County Legislature, at its meeting today, approved a landmark bill introduced by Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) that prohibits motorists from using hand-held cell phones while driving. Mobile phone use will be permitted if the phones are equipped with a hands-free device. The law will go into effect on January 1, 2001, and violators will be subject to a $150 fine for each offense.
"The impetus for this legislation was a tragedy suffered several months ago by an East Northport family when their car was struck by a motorist using a hand-held cell phone," Cooper stated. "Both parents were killed and their daughter was critically injured."
Cooper reviewed data clearly showing that motorists are distracted from driving when using cell phones on the road. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that motorists are four to five times more likely to have an accident while talking on a cell phone, a rate that is comparable to the impairment caused by driving while intoxicated.
Agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have studied the problem and say that the use of hand-held cell phones unquestionably leads to an increased number of car accidents. According to a report filed by the NHTSA, more than 50 million Americans now use cell phones, which were first introduced in 1983. The NHTSA reports that over 85 percent have said they use the phones while driving at least occasionally.
"Common sense dictates that handling a cell phone while driving is a major distraction," Cooper said. "The number of motorists using cell phones increases every day. I'm thrilled that my colleagues in the Legislature voted to take this bold action, which will enhance the safety of drivers and pedestrians alike."
Although 27 state legislatures across the country have considered bills that would regulate mobile phone use, none of these efforts have been successful. A few towns have enacted similar ordinances, but Suffolk, with a population greater than twelve states and the District of Columbia, is the first county in the nation to prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
