Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – The ban goes on the books today. It is now illegal to text while driving in Onondaga County.
Law enforcement admits the new law is going to be hard to enforce. Oneida County has had a ban in place for months – and has issued just one ticket.
Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputies say they look for drivers who are constantly looking down and are distracted while driving.
“Distractions are the leading cause of accidents along with DWI and our goal is to educate the driver,” said Captain Richard Antanvige from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department.
Anyone caught texting while driving in Oneida or Onondaga Counties daces a fine of up to $150.
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Beginning Wednesday, if you text while you drive in Onondaga County, you could be ticketed, and pay up to $150 in fines.
Police will begin enforcing the new texting while driving law, which was passed back in April. The law makes it illegal for anyone driving in the county to write, read or send a text message.
While officers admit it'll be difficult to enforce, they're hopeful the law and threat of a ticket will deter people from texting in the first place.
Kevin Walsh, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s office, says “I think it's much more dangerous than talking on a cell phone, which is a problem in itself. It's taking concentration off driving. You've got one hand busy on the text and that makes it more difficult to act in emergency situations.”
Oneida County's texting while driving ban went into effect on June 1st. Cayuga, Seneca, and Tompkins counties are working on a similar ban.
Though the ban has been on the books in Oneida County for a month now, that still hasn't stopped some people there from typing away while they're behind the wheel.
“That text goes off and you can't not check it,” says driver Rich Raciobba.
“I do it and I know its dangerous. It's probably as bad as drinking and driving,” says driver Tiffany Allen.
And she's right.
“It takes your eyes away from the road for too long to be safe,” says Capt. Richard Antanavige of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department. “Distractions are the leading cause of accidents, along with DWI, and our goal is to educate the driver.”
Sheriff’s deputies say just a couple of weeks ago a driver veered into oncoming traffic, causing an accident. They say she was texting at the time, and because of that she got a ticket -- the only texting while driving ticket issued in the county so far, mainly because enforcement has been a challenge for deputies.
“It's going to take some creative enforcement methods for us,” says Antanavige.
Those methods will include checking if the driver is continuously looking down or holding their phone up near the steering wheel.
Many of the people we spoke with Tuesday who admitted to texting while driving did say that it does distract them while they're on the road, and that this ban will now cause them to think twice.
Deputies in Oneida County say they plan to step up enforcement later next month.
