Albany Traffic Violation Law Blog

Last July, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo passed a law making it illegal to use handheld electronic devices while driving. Due to this new legislation, the state of New York was able to begin "Operation Hang Up" during this past holiday season. Operation Hang Up targeted drivers using their cell phones and other electronic devices while driving.

As result of the initiative, New York police issued 816 texting tickets over Thanksgiving - 330 of them can be directly attributed to the Operation Hang Up sting. The sting was funded by the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Since the new law went into effect in July 2011, approximately 1,000 texting tickets have been issued each month in New York. This is more than double the previous 430 per month average.

It seems that anytime Apple launches a new product there is a fair amount of buzz. Given that, you've probably already heard about the newest iPhone, the 4S. It sounds like the iPhone 4S could allow New Yorkers to text and drive without getting a ticket.

Yes, you read that right. Despite New York's ban on texting while driving, drivers using the new integrated software program Siri on the iPhone 4S could send text messages while driving without ever using their hands.

Red light cameras: In many states and large cities they have been around for years, so surely the initial frustration motorists had with the automated ticket generators has worn off, right?

Not so, according to a recent article in the New York Times. In Maryland, a camera recorded a man stomping out of the woods with a hammer and shotgun, toward a speed camera enforcement vehicle on the roadside. The dramatic footage revealed the man smashing the windshield of the speed enforcement vehicle with the hammer.

While everyone may not feel quite as homicidal toward the ticket-generating cameras as the man from Maryland, there is no question that automated speed and red light cameras can be a definite nuisance to out-of-state drivers, especially business travelers, tourists and interstate truckers.

After two bus crashes in New York and New Jersey left 17 dead in less than three days, bus and commercial driver safety has come under fire. As a result, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is taking measures to make sure commercial drivers are more qualified to be on the road.

Last month, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that more rigorous testing will be required for those trying to obtain commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). Additionally, the DOT is seeking to enact new rules that will further align commercial license compliance with federal safety regulations.