Traffic tickets for driving while holding a GPS device are being issued in Rockland, Westchester and across New York state. Does driving while holding a GPS device violate Vehicle & Traffic Law–specifically Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1225-d (2) (a)–so holds the Appellate Division in a recent Decision.

The law became effective in 2009. Then Governor Patterson, explained:

Research has established that the use of portable electronic devices while driving, and text messaging, in particular is extremely dangerous. For example, a recent study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that when truck drivers sent text messages while driving, their collision risk was 23 times greater then when not text messaging. Another study from the University of Utah found that college students showed an eight fold greater crash risk when text messaging.

The AAA supported the legislation

Texting while driver presents a clear and persistent danger to all other drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists on the road. Studies show that on average, a texting driving takes his or her eyes off the road for about five seconds to read or send a message, more than doubling the driver’s risk of a crash. At highway speeds, that’s long enough to cover the length of a football field. Research also shows that texting reduces reaction time by more than one third and steering control by more than 90 percent. In fact, a recent study from the University of Utah concluded that it’s more dangerous to be texting than it is to be drunk while driving

Five points will be assessed to your New York driver’s license if convicted of this offense. Have you received a traffic ticket in Clarkstown, Orangetown, White Plains, Yonkers or Yorktown?

Let our Traffic Ticket Defense attorneys help.