Nov 1, 2009 12:31 pm US/Eastern
NY Ban On Texting While Driving Takes Effect
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Put the BlackBerry away if you're behind the wheel.
New York's law against texting while driving went into effect Sunday.
The new law forbids the use of mobile devices for reading, typing and sending text messages while driving.
The ban on texting while driving comes with fines up to $150. It was already illegal in the state to talk on a cell phone while driving.
The U.S. Transportation Department reported that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes connected to driver distraction, often involving mobile devices or cell phones.
Violations of the ban would be considered secondary offenses, so police would need another reason to pull a driver over.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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