The first state-wide ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving has been approved by New York's State Assembly, and it may be the first of many. The new law calls for a $100 fine for a first offence, $200 for the second and $500 for all subsequent ones. It does allow drivers to use “hands-off” cell phones and to make 911 calls.
Laws on phone use while driving have also been proposed in 40 other states, and bans are already in place in at least 23 countries, including Japan.
CMAJ recently called for the introduction of rules restricting cell-phone use while driving in Canada, describing the move as a “no-brainer” (164[11]:1557). Winnipeg MP Bill Blaikie subsequently used that editorial to raise the issue in the House of Commons and to introduce a motion calling for a New York-style ban in Canada. He acknowledged that such a law might be difficult to enforce.
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