New Jersey cops crack down on chatty drivers

Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:00AM EST

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We all know about those pesky cell-phone laws states are putting out to scare drivers into using hands-free devices while behind the wheel. If you live in New Jersey, you better start taking those laws seriously unless you want to pay a hefty fine.

Philly.com is reporting that law enforcement officers in New Jersey will be able to fine drivers for talking or texting on their cell phone while driving. New Jersey adopted its hands-free law in July 2004 as a secondary offense, which meant the police couldn't pull you over for talking on the phone alone. But starting this Saturday, March 1, the law becomes a primary offense, and chatty drivers will be subjected to huge fines for not using a hands-free device.

These fines will range from $100-$250, although the state's Division of Highway Traffic Safety says no points will be assessed.

Guess it's time you start looking at inexpensive headsets folks. If you need a headset, and would like to get one free (and who doesn't), check out FreeHeadsets.org.

This organization has been promoting safe driving since 2003 by distributing free cell phone headsets. All you have to do is pay the shipping charge, which is about $4. I wrote about these guys last year, so you can get more information about FreeHeadsets.org here.

I'd love to hear what you think about this new law.

 

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  • 46 Posted by nitrodusterron on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    To all of you folks out there who still think this is a free country and you should be allowed to do whatever you want while driving.... REMEMBER this. Driving is a PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT. Some of you need a refresher course, don't drive while texting on the phone, apply make-up, or for GOD's sake, breast-feed your baby while driving....and yes, I have seen it.

  • 47 Posted by rbarrows84 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    ok here's the problem. To everyone that says talking on a phone with or with out a headset should be outlawed I give you this: two kids in the back seat of a car are much more distracting than a conversation on the phone and so having kids in a car should also be outlawed NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!. Also if talking on the phone is so distracting than talking to any other person in the car with you should also be outlawed NO MATTER WHAT!!!!. The point is while it may be safer you are starting to take away basic rights that people have and soon enough (10-15 years) we wont be able to drive cars or walk down the street or eat at a resturant because we will all be in fear of breaking the latest and greatest laws. This Country is a joke and has been for a long time and i have lived here for a long time...i think its time to move to canada or anywhere else for that matter

  • 48 Posted by bsho76 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    After these laws get passed in every state, who are these people going to blame for poor driving? Cell phone or not cell phone, most of these accidents are from poor driving...period...and taking away their cell phones isn't going to amount to anything other than to frustrate those people who are intelligent enough to be able to multitask successfully.

  • 49 Posted by allanscott1954 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    as a truck driver I wish all states would adopt this law, I have seen the aftermath and it never looks good. What I dont understand is all cells come with a handsfree in the box but people are just too lazy to use them (I use bluetooth and voice dial because a phone is a tool for me). No one cares about anybody else on the road, just watch how most drivers deal with traffic, as long as they can do what they want it doesn't matter who they cut off or how slow they go or how much over the limit etc. All states have a distracted driving law that you can call in on 911 and usually get someone pulled over for cell use weaving or other bad driving habits.

  • 50 Posted by andyftommo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have a 30 mile ride down a Jersey Hwy to get to work every day, plus I travel a lot for work, covering around 40,000 miles a year. I see a lotttt of terrible drivers. I have bluetooth built into my car, so talking on that is no different than talking to a passenger in your car. People who say talking at all on your phone, whether holding it or not, should be banned actually scare me. They're probably the people who sit at 60mph in the middle lane on a 65mph hwy. Going slower than the speed limit is much more dangerous than talking on your phone. Plus, this may cause an uproar, and I would like it to be known that I'm not in the least bit sexist, BUT, based on poor driving that I've seen over the last few years especially, 90% of drivers who are in the wrong lane, swerving, going too slowly or randomly braking are WOMEN TALKING ON THEIR PHONES!! Men seem to have grasped how to talk and drive at the same time, but then don't women always say we don't listen to them, which might explain things! We don't get so engrossed in conversations that we forget everything else we're doing! Just two nights ago driving home up 295, I was in the middle lane doing around 75, as was the car infront of me. It pulled into the left hand lane to overtake a car, as did I, with a clear road ahead, literally, the next car on the hwy was around half a mile away, this minivan infront of me, the brake lights randomly came on, and it slowed to, no joke, 49mph. The car we were overtaking got way ahead, I flashed my lights, honked my horn, but to no avail. I undertook in the middle lane, and lo and behold, it was a woman nattering away on her phone. THAT was dangerous driving and deserved points on her license. Driving 75 on a 65 hwy is not dangerous in the slightest, and does not deserve a ticket. If the cops would go after people who drive poorly and dangerously, instead of people going a few mph over the speed limit on a hwy, perhaps they would get more respect.

  • 51 Posted by lls451 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, I expect the cops to use Hands Free Two Way Radios... No squeezy the microphone and driving yo cop car to communicate to base. The sheriffs offices need to invest in Voice Actuated equipment for their patrol cars.

  • 52 Posted by anojette on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Here in California, enforcement has been lax. The law just phased in recently and they were giving people a bit of a grace period. I understand that the cops will be cracking down this summer. and rbarrows84 two children behaving themselves in the back seat are NOT a distraction. If the parent does something negligent while attending to the children, that parent can be prosecuted if they cause an accident. But by definition, talking on a cell phone is distracting. If you doubt it, then talk on the phone and hold a conversation while parking as the local Highway Patrol suggested as a test of the need for these laws. It is not a joke to prevent other people from endangering YOUR safety. Driving is a privelege, not a right. Voting is a right. Protection against discrimination is a right. Not driving. Driving is a privelege granted solely at the discretion of government. Please understand that important distinction.

  • 53 Posted by godzukisan on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    As much as cell phones help with the boredom and wasted time of long drives, people are too distracted when talking on them - with or without there hands. Ban all cell phone use while driving. If you've got a real emergency, pull over and deal with it.

  • 54 Posted by hnlracer on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am totally convinced that this would be a HUGE step forward. It is distracting enough to be talking on headset while trying to concentrate on driving and holding onto a phone makes it absolutely insane. There may be a lot of bad drivers out there as many people on here insist; however, the cell phone usage only makes them worse. With our highways becoming more and more crowded and congested, there is more and more reason to make hand held cell phones illegal while driving.

  • 55 Posted by jinx54970 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    i think that all states should that law as i drive all over the states and as i see what is ging on woman are the worst there is on a cell phone they can not drive and talk first they are 65 then down 45 all people should to drve not yat on the phone were i live people can't leave home and that they do talk on the phone and i think all the states should this ALL

  • 56 Posted by ruthiebug3 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    I am all for this, too. If you really need to talk, then pull over. Or get the headset. We have all seen people who are NOT paying attention as they should while driving. It's pretty scary when you think about it.

  • 57 Posted by erikb_02809 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Some folks can handle talking on their cells while driving, some can't. How about cops pull people over for driving like shmucks, cell phone or not? Makes sense to me. Oh wait, that's already how its supposed to be.

  • 58 Posted by phil_burkhardt on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    I live in Seattle and I use public transportation and walk a lot. I can't tell you how many times I have almost been run over because people were paying more attention to their phone conversations than to their surroundings. The problem is that most people are completely oblivious to what is going on around them. Add a cell phone to that equation, and you have a recipe for disaster. Good job New Jersey, maybe now your pedestrians will be a little safer.

  • 59 Posted by shonnabug on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    FreeHeadset.org is a great site! I've actually used them 3 times so far because I keep smashing the bloody things in my car door! Atleast they only cost a few bucks, instead of $30 at the Verizon store. Gina: Bravo for highlighting such a great organization!

  • 60 Posted by canuck1950 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree with "uncle9bob" it is DARN scary on the roads, not 1 day goes by that I encounter numerous erratic drivers and 99% of the time it is some fool on a cell phone. Don't talk to me about "hands free" once engrossed in a conversation a driver loses concentration. Alcohol and gasoline do not mix, and neither does cell phones. I personally do not allow anyone to have a cell turned on while I am driving, anyone wants me.......Leave a message!

  • 61 Posted by shawn42000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    I live in toms river, new jersey. First of all, this cell phone ban is not meant to help with the drivers' safety, as much as you may want to believe it, or are told it. New Jersey is $100 BILLION in debt. This is a flimsy way of making some money, just like keeping the toll booths up that were "to be destroyed" decades ago. Also, as something i regard as a personal option, i dont normally choose to wear mine. I've made that choice for the past 8 years and was never stopped. Now i've been stopped twice in 2 days and ticketed by state police. This state is extremely corrupt and full of political thieves. Anyone in their right mind would leave here.

  • 62 Posted by snowballin37920 on Fri Mar 7, 2008 1:24PM EST Report Abuse

    GREAT!!! I wish TN and NC (the 2 states I drive the most in) would pass these kinds of laws. I've been run into a concrete median literally, and the lady kept on driving. Fortunitly a witness stayed until the cops got there to take the report so that I didn't end up having to pay for damages to the median and could file it as a non-fault accident. Heck I'd be happy just to get them out of the fast lane. I can't stand driving behind someone in the fast lane, talking on their phone, holding up traffic. I always go around them and put my blinker on, if that doesn't work I start slowing down. I slowed one person down to 35 MPH in the fast lane before she even noticed and changed lanes, but never did take the phone away from her ear.

  • 63 Posted by chiapet1969 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    If people are too stupid to talk and drive at the same time then they shouldn't be allowed to even buy a cell phone to begin with....and it doesn't stop there. Have any of you seen those people reading the paper in the car on their way to work. Or putting on their make up. The next thing we'll see is people brewing their coffee and ironing their shirts in their car on the way to work. I swear. How stupid can people be?

  • 64 Posted by ftmontera on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Good Job,New Jersey Cops!That should be a law in Texas too!You commonly see these certain drivers manuevering their cars with one hand, the other hand on the cellfone.Sometimes they are so engrossed with their conversations they change lanes without signal or worst without looking.What scares me more is looking at women driving SUVs or trucks,while on the phone!

  • 65 Posted by vmc925 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think it's great for NJ. There aren't any other issues in this state other than people on their cell phones. The property taxes aren't too high, there isn't any corruption in the government, the state taxes aren't high. Hey, maybe they should shut the state down to raise sales tax so that it can help with the deficit, and then give half of the additional income from the sales tax back to home owners and do nothing with the deficit.

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