If you use your cell phone in the car beware: The Verona Police Department set up a post at the intersection of Bloomfield and Lakeside avenues yesterday and netted more than 40 violations in a four-hour period. Verona Police Chief Doug Huber said the summonses included both using a hand-held device while driving and moving violations.
New Jersey outlawed the use of hand-held devices while driving in 2008. The fine for a violation has risen to $130 from $100 since then, and is likely to get even more onerous in the near future: State lawmakers are talking about imposing a fine surcharge on repeat offenders and even issuing points to the driver’s license. The law covers not only talking and listening to cell phone calls, but also texting.
Great! There is no excuse for talking on your phone while driving. The fine really should be $1000. Maybe then people would take the law more seriously. If you really, really need to take a call while driving, then pull over and stop risking your life and the lives around you.