[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/new-york-cell-phone-laws-and-distracted-driving-in-nyc\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/new-york-cell-phone-laws-and-distracted-driving-in-nyc\/","headline":"New York Cell Phone Laws and Distracted Driving in NYC","name":"New York Cell Phone Laws and Distracted Driving in NYC","description":"If you think sometimes that your cell phone runs your life, you need to keep in mind that it could mess up your life, too, if you use it while driving. Even if you don\u2019t get in a car accident because you were distracted by texting or chatting on a phone, you could be ticketed […]","datePublished":"2020-12-14","dateModified":"2025-04-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/author\/davidresnick\/#Person","name":"David Resnick & Associates, P.C.","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/author\/davidresnick\/","identifier":12,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a3013950d41a44d6b0e6763649a50fe204ed95d3b6159870ec7dc3bb33ff2c6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9a3013950d41a44d6b0e6763649a50fe204ed95d3b6159870ec7dc3bb33ff2c6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"David Resnick & Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/david-resnick-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/david-resnick-logo.png","width":287,"height":87}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/distracted-driving.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/distracted-driving.jpeg","height":334,"width":500},"url":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/new-york-cell-phone-laws-and-distracted-driving-in-nyc\/","about":["Car Accidents"],"wordCount":932,"articleBody":"If you think sometimes that your cell phone runs your life, you need to keep in mind that it could mess up your life, too, if you use it while driving. Even if you don\u2019t get in a car accident because you were distracted by texting or chatting on a phone, you could be ticketed in New York City and fined $200 or more.Don\u2019t use a phone or any electronic device while you\u2019re driving. The National Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the nation\u2019s clearinghouse for car accident statistics, says\u00a0distracted driving claimed 2,841 lives in 2018 alone. Among those killed: 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians and 77 bicyclists.Anyone who drives distracted puts themselves and others at risk. If you are seriously injured by someone who just had to answer a text while driving, you may have a right to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost income, vehicle damage, pain and suffering and more.At\u00a0David Resnick & Associates, P.C., our record as NYC personal injury lawyers includes $60 million recovered for clients in verdicts and settlements. It\u2019s past time for everyone to stop driving while distracted by cell phones. Those who drive distracted and hurt someone should be held accountable. The victims of distracted drivers should be made financially whole.New York Cell Phone LawsThere are multiple types of distracted driving. Anything that takes your eyes and mind off the task of driving is a distraction\u2014 from eating and drinking, to changing the radio station or talking to a passenger or a pet.\u201cTexting is the most alarming distraction,\u201d the NHTSA says. \u201cSending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that\u2019s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.\u201dIt\u2019s important for drivers to understand New York\u2019s laws pertaining to cell phones and driving at\u00a0Vehicle & Traffic Law 1225(c)\u00a0and\u00a0VTL 1225(d).In plain language, the law makes it illegal to use a cell phone or any other portable electronic device while you drive.Illegal activity includes holding the device and:talking on a phonewriting, reading, sending or transmitting, accessing or retrieving, saving, or browsing or scrolling information, such as email, texts, IMs or web pagesviewing, taking or transmitting images with or from a camera, including a phone\u2019s cameraplaying games.A person who is ticketed for distracted driving may be fined $50 to $200 for a first offense and up to $250 for a second offense within 18 months. The fine is $450 for a third or subsequent offense within 18 months. A surcharge of up to $93 may be added to any ticket.Distracted drivers who are found guilty will get 5\u00a0points added to their driver\u2019s license. A driver who receives 11 points on their license in an 18-month period may have their driving privileges suspended.This is not new. New York has had distracted driving laws on the books for almost 20 years. New York adopted the nation\u2019s first statewide hand-held phone law, which took effect in November 2001. The state made texting while driving illegal in 2009, and changed it in 2011 to a primary offense, meaning you can be ticketed for that alone instead of just if it causes an accident.In addition to enacting laws, New York, other state and federal governments and private groups have mounted multiple public service campaigns to alert people\u2014especially young people\u2014 about the dangers of texting and other forms of distracted driving. The first big one in the U.S., a\u00a0graphic anti-texting video, got millions of YouTube views as early as 2009, before most states made texting while driving illegal.The New York State Police have tried ticketing initiatives like \u201cOperation Hang-Up,\u201d as well as awareness campaigns at events such as the state fair and county fairs. Most recently, New York City has adopted the\u00a0\u201cWas it Worth It?\u201d public awareness campaign\u00a0aimed at several types of dangerous driving behavior.Even with those education and enforcement efforts, New York recorded 87,728 car accidents in 2018 attributed to \u201cDriver Inattention\/Distraction.\u201d This was a 54% increase from 57,006 in 2017.Contact a NYC Car Accident LawyerA driver who causes a car accident and injuries while using a cell phone in New York City should be held accountable. In addition to whatever penalties police and prosecutors seek, these dangerous drivers should be made to compensate their victims for serious injuries, property damage, lost income and their pain and suffering.David Resnick & Associates, P.C., can help with a distracted driving personal injury claim. Distracted driving accidents are characterized by late braking or the absence of braking. They often involve higher speeds and more serious injuries. As your attorneys, we can obtain the driver\u2019s cell phone records when distracted driving is suspected. The records may prove the driver was on the phone at the time of the crash.With this evidence in hand, we can pursue a claim for compensation. We will carefully calculate your total costs and losses \u2013 past, current and future \u2013 related to the accident and your injuries and seek full compensation. There are numerous factors that can affect a car accident victim\u2019s recovery. Our\u00a0New York City car accident attorneys\u00a0know how these factors work together to allow us to maximize the compensation our clients receive.Contact David Resnick & Associates, P.C., for a free initial evaluation of your case. Call us at 212-279-2000 or fill out our online contact form. With an experienced NYC car accident attorney by your side, you can hold drivers who insist on endangering people by using cell phones behind the wheel accountable."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New York Cell Phone Laws and Distracted Driving in NYC","item":"https:\/\/www.injuryclaimnyclaw.com\/blog\/new-york-cell-phone-laws-and-distracted-driving-in-nyc\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]