Texting and driving is a really dumb idea, and New York has a new idea how to stop people from doing it. The state recently rolled out 32 tall, unmarked SUVs to police officers, giving them a better line of sight at drivers’ hands to catch them in the act. Catching distracted drivers talking on their phones is easy, but officers have a tougher time determining if those drivers are distracted because of texting. Patrolling in taller cars should help them enforce the law better than ever. This move is the latest in a string of crackdowns against texting while driving by New York, which created “Texting Zones” for you to pull over and text from a safe spot. The state also made the penalties more severe for being caught in the act: texting while driving now carries a five point penalty for your license and a fine of up to $200. So next time you’re out for a drive, remember: texting can wait.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.