Hudson Valley cell phone tickets: what you need to know

Driving while using a cell phone in New York is a primary offense, which means an officer can pull you over if you’re seen talking, texting, or operating your phone and your car at the same time. State troopers patrolling the Thruway and the Taconic State Parkway seem to favor these tickets, perhaps because of the “texting stops” available on those highways.

This is a five-point violation, and if you rack up 11 points in 18 months you can lose your license. With just six points, however, a driver responsibility assessment fee will be levied; that’s an extra $300 (plus $75 more for every point more than six) that must be paid to keep that license valid. If the officer also gave you a ticket for speeding, for example, hitting either of those limits could be all too easy. Since this is a moving violation, a conviction would impact insurance rates even if no other tickets were issued.

The texting-while-driving rules are actually a law forbidding use of portable electronic devices, and that’s an important distinction. You could be found guilty of this for:

• texting

• hitting “next track”

• using a GPS or navigation app

• hunting Pokemon

• sending a snap

. . . while driving. That’s right, you cannot even snipe deals on Ebay while driving, without putting yourself at risk of this law. Find a place to safely pull over before you touch that screen, and you may not need to call Selby Legal. Not everyone is that fortunate, and if you have received a citation you can upload your cell phone ticket to get a free consultation over the phone.