Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - It's been illegal in many Central New York counties for some time now, but texting and driving is about to be against the law everywhere in New York.
The new state law takes effect on Sunday, but depending on who you talk to it may or may not put an end to the patchwork of laws that have developed at the local level.
With the state slow to react to the dangers of texting and driving, several counties early this summer decided not to wait and ban it themselves. In Onondaga County, lawmakers gave police the ability to pull someone over and ticket them solely for texting and driving.
The state finally got around to creating its own law for all of New York that kicks in this weekend. But the new law only allows police to ticket you for texting and driving if they've pulled you over for another offense, like running a red light. State police say this law takes precedence -- but don't count on it in Onondaga County.
"My understanding right now is, as it stands, the county law will continue to be enforced as long as it stays on the books," Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh said.
The county law has been on the books since July. So far, however, they haven't written any tickets for it yet.
"It's a very difficult thing to enforce, we knew that to begin with and we knew the whole real purpose of the law was to get people's voluntary compliance by educating them, making them aware of the dangers also telling them there is a law,” said Sheriff Walsh.
Both laws carry $150 fines, but Walsh says issuing a ticket under the county's driving and texting ban allows most of the fine to stay local, whereas a state violation sends the money to Albany.
