N.Y. Officials May Take Phones Out of Drivers’ Hands
New York City officials Tuesday proposed a ban on the use of hand-held cellular phones while driving, a move that would put the city at the forefront of a movement nationwide to restrict usage of the popular devices.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and City Council members introduced two similar bills that, if passed, would require motorists to use hands-free devices attached to their cellular phones while driving in the city.
“It doesn’t attempt to stop the use of cell phones,” said City Council Speaker Peter Vallone. “It does say we don’t want you to hold the phone in your hand.”
The mayor’s office cited a recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that found at least one contributing factor in about 65% of all motor vehicle accidents was driver inattentiveness and another study by the University of Toronto that showed that a driver’s use of a cell phone can quadruple the risk of an accident.
Both bills will go before the City Council for discussion in the next several weeks, officials said.
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