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Hello, and welcome to the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and
Hard of Hearing VLOG. I am Dianne Shearer, and I'm the Director of
Interpreter and CART Services here at the Commission. This VLOG talks about
the new law called the Safe Driver Law, which will go into effect this Thursday,
September 30, 2010. We think it is important that people be made aware of
this new law. This law makes it illegal to text while driving. Starting
September 30th, it is prohibited to do the following things while driving: You
may not send or read text messages, send or read e-mails, or check the Internet,
no matter which type of device. You may not send messages from your cell
phone, your pager, or your laptop. Adults are still permitted to talk on the
telephone using their cell phones. Should you be stopped at a red light or a
stop sign, it is still prohibited to use those devices. The reason for that is
that you are still considered actively driving, despite the fact that your car is
at a stop sign or a red light. If the police should catch you sending or
reading text messages or checking the Internet, you will be fined $100 for the
first offense. If you are caught for a second time, it is $250 for the second offense.
And for the third offense the fine is $500.
For junior operators under the age of 18, they must follow the same laws
regarding texting, but in addition, junior operators are not permitted to use cell
phones at all while driving, in addition to not being able to send or read text
messages, send or read e-mails, and checking the Internet. They may not do
any of those things. If a junior operator is caught using those devices, the first
offense is a $100 fine and a 60-day license revocation. They must also prove
that they have completed a class designated by the Registry of Motor Vehicles to
get their license back. For junior operators, the second offense is
a $250 fine, with a license revocation of 6 months or 180 days.
For junior operators on a third offense, the fine would be $500 with a one
year license revocation. Governor Patrick signed Bill H7495 for the
Safe Driving Bill on July 2nd of 2010, in order to prevent injuries and potentially
fatal accidents caused by distracted drivers.
United States State Transportation Secretary has shown facts that indicate
that since 2009, 5,474 people have died, and 484,000 people were injured by
accidents involving distracted drivers. We need your help to spread the word to
your friends, and family members, and co-workers to let them know about this
law. Thank you, and we hope that you will all drive
safely.