The next time you’re driving through Fairview Park, don’t even look at your phone. It is probably best to pretend you don’t have it with you.
Citing the many dangers of texting while driving, the city passed a new law that will allow cops to pull you over if you appear to be composing, sending, or reading texts or e-mails while driving. You don’t have to scoot through a yellow light or anything first. They can just pull you over for doing anything text related.
A first offense will cost you $100, a second will be $250, and people who keep doing it after the second time could be fined $500.
According to the Sun Post-Herald, city council passed the new law as an emergency measure.
“With all the kids coming from college over the holiday season, spreading that awareness and having that information out there could help save a life,” Councilman Brian McDonough told the paper.“It is amazing that people think they can multitask while driving, and it is something they just can’t do. All the research and all the studies show this type of driving and texting — going 55 mph, looking at the phone while trying to reply to that text or email — you are going the length of a football field blind,” he added.
Plans are afoot to start an education program at Fairview High School to warn and inform young drivers. No word on how the city plans to educate people too old for high school but who also text while driving.
