Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
New York Lieutenant Governor Comments on Banning Cell Phone Use While Driving
Aired June 25, 2001 - 09:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: New York State would be the first in the nation to ban hand-held phones while driving. More than two dozen other states are debating similar laws right now.
Mary Donohue is the Lieutenant Governor of New York, and she is with us this morning from the capital city Albany to talk some more about that.
Good morning, how are you?
LT. GOV. MARY DONOHUE (R), NEW YORK: Good morning, Leon. Very well.
HARRIS: Now, did you get to hear the comments of Mantill Williams of -- from AAA just moments ago? We were talking about the impact of these laws around the country.
DONOHUE: Yes, I did. And we dispute his...
HARRIS: What do you make of that? What...
DONOHUE: We disagree with his opinion completely, Leon. We now have three localities in New York State, West Chester, Suffolk and Nassau counties, that have enacted local laws banning the use of hand- held cell phones while driving on public highways.
First of all, we need uniformity, particularly those counties -- our commuter counties -- people drive from one county to another. In those three counties and beyond those areas, it's confusing now for drivers to know which county has a ban, which doesn't. Uniformity is an element in why we acted but the predominant element is safety. Eighty-seven percent of New Yorkers were found with a Quinnipiac poll to want this ban. We've had accidents. Niki Taylor is still recovering from a very serious accident in Georgia a few weeks ago where it was caused by a driver holding a hand-held cell phone.
HARRIS: You know since you...
DONOHUE: There's no question that it increases the risk to a degree that makes us feel it's appropriate to act.
HARRIS: Now you mention the name of Niki Taylor and there are many who say that the only reason why states like yours is reacting this way -- they're calling it an overreaction -- is because of the one or two highly-publicized incidents that did involve cell phones.
DONOHUE: Leon, that "New England Journal of Medicine" study that was cited by the AAA representative indicated that the risk of accident and risk of harm as a result of use of a hand-held cell phone in -- on public highways quadruples to the rate of intoxication. We felt it was reasonable here to ban that use of hand-held cell phones. Our philosophy of government is not to intrude unless it's appropriate and necessary. That's why we haven't banned totally the use of cell phones. We think it's a reasonable compromise.
It'll go into effect -- we expect our Assembly to deal with it this morning. The Senate has already passed it last week. The governor has made an agreement with the leaders of the Senate Assembly that he will sign this into law when it is passed by the Assembly.
HARRIS: Well, let me ask...
DONOHUE: It will go into effect November 1 of this year, but there'll be a month's leeway for a police officer to make a judgment call not to issue a traffic infraction ticket. And after that, for three additional months, a few months anyway, a judge will have the option to waive the fine.
HARRIS: Well...
(CROSSTALK)
DONOHUE: As far as...
HARRIS: In the remaining time we have this morning, I have to ask you back about those three areas you mentioned earlier. We talked about...
DONOHUE: Yes.
HARRIS: ... three communities that actually had this law in place before you went ahead and make -- before the attempt to make it a statewide issue here.
DONOHUE: That's right.
HARRIS: What are the -- what is the evidence that it has actually reduced traffic fatalities or any sort of traffic abnormalities in those three areas since the laws have been on the books there?
DONOHUE: Well, I think it's absolutely obvious to agree and to acknowledge that the use of something in your hand repeatedly and the spontaneous ringing of the phone while you're attempting to drive is -- does increase the risk. There's no question of that and quadrupling the risk to the degree of intoxication.
Of course, the local laws have not been in effect long enough to really have an objective evaluation based on them, but the statistics that are already known -- the National Highway and Traffic Safety Board did a similar study to the "New England Journal of Medicine." Unquestionably the risk is increased dramatically when you're holding something in your hand repeatedly while you should be driving a car or holding the steering wheel with both hands.
We feel that the risk warrants us to be a leader in the nation and the people approve of this. The people of New York State have asked for this by an 87 percent margin. We should be responding affirmatively to that request by the people and that's what we're doing.
HARRIS: Well, we'll be watching to see how the voting actually does go down.
We thank you very much for your time this morning,...
DONOHUE: All right.
HARRIS: ... Lieutenant Governor Donohue...
DONOHUE: Thank you for your interest, Leon.
HARRIS: Mary Donohue in New York, thank you very much. We'll see you soon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
