By Nick Norlen, Staff Writer
Note 2 NJ drvrs: pull ovr when u txt or talk, or u’ll b pulled ovr.
Translation: Starting this Saturday, using a cell phone or other hand-held electronic communications device while driving becomes a “primary offense” — meaning police officers can pull over drivers for that violation alone.
Previously, motorists could only be issued summonses for driving while using such devices if they were observed using them when another traffic violation occurred.
Now, such violations will result in a $100 fine. No points will be assessed to a driver’s record.
Local police said they’re ready to enforce the new law.
Princeton Township Officer Kim Hodges, of the department’s Traffic Safety Bureau, said the department will first observe an “educational enforcement period,” during which officers will consider the circumstances of each stop and whether people are aware of the change.
But “that doesn’t mean we’re going to tie the hands of the officers either,” she said, noting that arguments from drivers won’t help. “If we see them operating the phone, that’s a violation.”
Though Princeton Borough Police Lt. David Dudeck said borough officers will also use discretion, as in any other traffic stop, he said they’re still “going to get out there right away” to enforce the law.
”It’s just another thing that goes to help us trying to keep the highway safe,” he said. “As cell phones became more popular, more and more people are using them as they drive. I think it’s caused accidents not just in New Jersey, but across the country.”
West Windsor Police Lt. Carl Walsh said he sees it all the time.
”It has been proven to be a safety issue,” he said. “It is a distraction, and some people aren’t good at multitasking, especially when you have to focus on driving with a cell phone.”
Acting Lt. James Curry of the Montgomery Township Police Department said he expects officers to be pulling over more and more vehicles.
”Obviously you’re going to see a lot more car stops, because I think everyone notices how often people talk on their cell phones,” Lt. Curry said.
Lt. Curry said first-time offenders of the law won’t be given a break from Montgomery officers, because he thinks the public has received adequate notice of the change. To keep drivers informed, the department even set up an electronic sign on Route 206 near the Montgomery-Hillsborough border that broadcasts the March 1 change.
Although Lt. Curry said his department issued less than five summonses for using a cell phone while driving in 2007, he said the statistics might not account for tickets issued for careless driving that resulted from cell phone use.
New Jersey Police Traffic Officers’ Association President William Cicchetti, a police chief in Washington Township in Bergen County who helped lobby for the law, said he expects the gathering of statistics to improve now that violations are primary offenses.
”It’s going to be interesting to see how this affects the crash statistics. I think it will impact on it significantly,” he said. “I think once the numbers start coming in, and it’s proven you can cut down on crashes in your areas, you’ll see a lot more enforcement in the future.”
Though he said he’s pleased with its implementation, Chief Cicchetti said he’s disappointed that the law doesn’t account for other forms of distraction that result in less than perfect driving.
”Sometimes they don’t even realize they caused the crash because it’s behind them,” he said. “That’s the part that’s scary.”
David Weinstein, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, agreed, and said his organization is lobbying for a “more all-encompassing driver distraction bill.”
He added, “The fact is that there are too many people out there multitasking, which is why there are thousands of crashes and hundreds of deaths. What we’re looking for is to give law enforcement some leeway, and to define what really is a driver distraction.”
But Mr. Weinstein said he doesn’t see any movement from politicians or motorists for such a change.
”I think we’re a long way a way from a bill like I described,” he said.
Still, Chief Cicchetti said he hopes the new law will see increased compliance.
”It’s the same thing with the seat belts,” he said, referring their eventual wide acceptance by the public. “It saved a lot of heartache. I think this will do the same thing.”
More information on the law is available on the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety Web site at www.njsaferoads.com.
Staff writers Greg Forester and Katie Wagner contributed to this story.
