NEW PA Law- "No Cell Phone While Driving",

[Porshagod]

[size=3][b]NEW PA Law-
[/b][/size][size=3][b]"No Cell Phone While Driving", Effective November 10,2007[/b]
[/size]
House Bill No 1827 amends Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statues and will be [b]effective November 10, 2007.[/b]
 
"[b]No driver shall operate any moving vehicle on a highway of this Commonwealth[/b], which shall include Federal, State and municipal highways, [b]while using a hand-held mobile telephone."[/b]

The term [b]"hand-held mobile telephone" is defined[/b] by the bill as: 
"A mobile telephone other than a hands-free mobile telephone with which[b] a user engages in a call using at least one hand."[/b]

It also [b]defines "hands-free"[/b] as follows:

"A mobile telephone that has an internal feature or function, or that is equipped with an attachment or addition, whether or not permanently part of such mobile telephone, by which [b]a user engages in a call without the use of either hand[/b], whether or not the use of either hand is necessary to activate, deactivate or initiate a function of such telephone."

The new law does not apply to Law Enforcement Officers and/or Operators of Emergency Vehicles when on duty and acting in official capacities.

Defensible actions for the use of a hand-held mobile telephone while driving are:

1)   The driver had reason to fear for the his or her own safety

2)   Reporting a traffic accident

3)   Making a "911" emergency call

A person who is found to be in violation of this section commits a summary offense and upon conviction, will be sentence to pay a $50.00 fine.


http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2007&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=1827&pn=2428


 

[michael lang]

Both Washington DC & Virginia have had this law in effect for awhile. I'm not sure if Maryland does or not. I imagine it will fast become a country wide law as we get closer to 12.31.07 when the FCC cuts out all of the analog phone and communication type service so that everything will be 9-11 compliant. Big thing with Mercedes Benz right now. Alot of my clients are furious that they have to have their teleaid service upgraded to digital or the svc is being turned off. GM has something similar but not as complicated to do the conversion as the Benz vehicles. I guess it was only a matter of time before all of this had to come around.

 

[Darren]

Yeah well DC and Virginia are run by Nazis.  I just changed jobs and a speeding ticked I got for going 85 mph in a 55 mph in Virginia shows up as a misdemeanor.  Luckily it was more than 3 years ago, or else I wouldn't have gotten this job.

[larrybard]

To the best of my knowledge, this has not in fact been enacted into law.  I think if you check further you will find that it was referred to the Transportation Committee -- where it still remains.

If anyone has different documented information (not just e-mailed reports) I'd like to know.

Larry

[AMoore]

One the issues that will need to be addressed is whether you can get pulled over for such a violation, or if you must be pulled over for a different violation first, like the current seat belt law.

 

[Wellardmac]

I first heard of this in a site wide email at work.... pity that it's not actually law.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/traffic/penncell.asp

If they fined all those talking on cell phones, then they could give out fewer speeding tickets and improve traffic safety simultaneously.

[ccm911]

On this morning's newscast on 88.5 WXPN, the lead story was about how this rumour has gotten out of control.  The legislation has not passed, but to be honest, I'd rather let the non-driving cell phone talkers think otherwise.  How rude of people to jeopardize my safety just so they can feel important.  Like I always say....these folks sure as heck aren't solving world hunger or curing cancer during their cell phone talks on the turnpike!

[Wellardmac]

+1 to me it's the single most dangerous activity I see on the road. It's sad to see a very large percentage of drivers gabbing away on the phone and not paying attention to the road. I'd love to see them all ticketed.

Last winter I even saw a woman in a minivan (I know, say no more) talking on the phone while fishtailing on ice. Probably calling her husband to tell him how she's driving dangerously and losing control of the car on ice.

What the hell is so important that it cannot wait until they get home?!? what, are they finding wold peace?

[ccm911]

Wellardmac wrote:

Last winter I even saw a woman in a minivan (I know, say no more) talking on the phone while fishtailing on ice. Probably calling her husband to tell him how she's driving dangerously and losing control of the car on ice.

What the hell is so important that it cannot wait until they get home?!? what, are they finding wold peace?

LOL!!!! But then again, if she met with an unfortunate end, it could be considered "thinning of the herd".

[larrybard]

Wellardmac wrote:

+1 to me it's the single most dangerous activity I see on the road. It's sad to see a very large percentage of drivers gabbing away on the phone and not paying attention to the road. I'd love to see them all ticketed.

Sure is scary! As I'm driving I see two different drivers talking on their cell phones.

Larry

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld (http://www.BlackBerry.net)