A Necessary Crackdown

New York State troopers cracked down in various jurisdictions on Thursday, October 25th, 2018, hoping to curtail a dangerous increase in distracted driving across the state. Hundreds of citations were issued to drivers for various infractions, including driving dangerously due to interacting with an electronic device.

Troopers kept an eye out for certain driving behaviors that indicated a person might be driving while distracted. These tell-tale behaviors include:

• Speeding
• Driving under the speed limit
• Swerving in and out of lanes
• Failing to follow the Move Over Law

The Move Over law is an easy way for patrolmen and police to tell whether or not a driver is paying sufficient attention to traffic. The law requires that motorists move over and give a sufficient buffer to emergency vehicles with their sirens on. Though some drivers do not follow the law for a variety of reasons, one of the most common causes of failure is a person looking at their cell phone or other device instead of keeping their eyes on the road.

During a crackdown such as this, the Move Over law is even easier to employ, as the troopers are regularly using their sirens to pull over speeders and other law-breakers. While doing so, it is easy for other troopers to keep an eye out for violations of the Move Over law and cite drivers who fail to give proper space to emergency vehicles.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident, and you suspect that distracted driving may have played a role, please contact an experienced attorney. A qualified lawyer will know how to investigate and determine whether or not the other driver was paying proper attention to their surroundings to limit the risk of an accident occurring.