NY State proposing ban on gaming while driving

by David Hinkle on Jul 17th 2009 10:30PM

New York doesn't want you distracted while steering that 2,500 lb. hunk of ~~metal~~ plastic, according to a recently passed bill brought to our attention by Buffalo Business First, banning all kinds of behind-the-wheel diversions. If you often enjoy a quick round of Retro Game Challenge or Patapon while at a stop light, know the cops would be able to confiscate your handheld and totally erase your game saves. Okay, we made that up. Offenders would actually get a $150 fine.

The new law (much like Hawaii's) doesn't just apply to games and, should it pass, will make a number of activities on your phone (text, surf the web, hold it up and look at it) illegal to do while driving. Sure, it has everyone's safety in mind, but we really think the government is crazy if it expects us to pull over and park every time we try to level up our Pidgey.

[Via Game Politics]

Source

Tags: ban, driving, handheld, law, new-york

Reader Comments (98)

^that's what alcohol does to you.

Okay who is actually upset by this law because they feel entitled to be playing video games while driving? Because I would like to punch them in the face.

*raises hand cautiously*

*Sees Archi raising hand and joins him just to be included in something*

*stabs all of you

meow!

woof!

kaaww!!

GIRAFFE SOUND!

SNIKT SNIKT!

Nanu Nanu!

fap fap fap...?

wakka wakka wakka....

(is this old already?)

Hey have any of yous guys seen my travel edition Boggle?

No. Tell us about that, please.

Nobody. But what people are pissed about (and what R wasn't quite articulate enough to say), is that you shouldn't have to ban gaming while driving, because its common sense that you can't drive and game at the same time. Getting a ticket for gaming and driving is already enforced under an existing law: reckless driving. It'll be policed about as well, too. Before this law, if a cop saw you texting while driving down the highway, he would pull you over for reckless driving. Now, he pulls you over for texting while driving.

The waste of taxpayer dollars is that the legislature took up time to write, proof, debate, and vote on a redundant bill that doesn't actually do anything. All this bill does is create a new name for an existing crime.

Wow look at that, my state makes a law that isnt a total waste of money and time. It's a fucking miracle

Indeed it is.

Driving in NY is already somewhat dangerous as it is, it's about time the gov took action against morons who would add to that danger.

you mean themselves? HIYO!!!

Wait! People actually game while driving!? Wow, personally I think anyone who does that is a complete idiot. It's like they're saying, "I don't care about my life or the lives of others around me." Driving is an activity that requires your attention so as to protect your life, and the life of a pedestrian, from becoming victim to a onslaught of a 1 ton piece of metal. I mean some people don't even pay attention to their own body while gaming, so who the heck thinks it's ok to drive and game at the same time!? That would be just as bad as texting while driving, it's just another accident waiting to happen. If you have something to say just call the person and use a hands-free method, if can afford a car, you afford a bluetooth headset.

I need to learn to proofread before posting, argh.

I meant to say, "if you can afford a car, you can afford a bluetooth headset."

I second that. Know how many people I see trip or walk into something while trying to play a game while driving? Let's put 1 ton of steel around them and see what happens!

If zhey come outz wiz a law againzt chokolat pooding, I will cry my fat lizzle zelf ztoo zleep!!

Why would you waste time leveling up a Pidgey?

Now THAT is the real question.

Cause I want it to evolve, GOD DAMMIT!!!

That's blatant discrimination against Pidgeys, I should have you arrested!

Every pokemon is hatched with the right live, have it's own pokeball, and be trained to level 100.

because pidgeot is a badass.

That's what the daycare is for. Geez.

Reminds me of that law they passed here in Chicago were u get a $200 ticket for using your cell while driving, but the dam police never pull anyone over for it.

You guys laugh, but people actually do play games while driving.
I remember several years back, I had gone with a friend to pick up a new MegaMan game that had come out for GBA. We got back into the car after he bought it, and were on our way some where else, when he pulls out his GBA... pops the game in, and starts playing WHILE DRIVING down the highway.

Needless to say, I called him a "fucking idiot" and told him to put the thing away while I was in the car with him. I was pretty dumbfounded that he would even do such a thing. I didn't actually think he was going to PLAY while driving, when I saw him take out the GBA.

It was pretty unbelievable. Looking back, I'm not surprised, because he's a pretty terrible driver, all around.

I live in NY, and I'm fine with this law passing. People simply aren't smart enough to govern themselves, when it comes to these things.

The sad part is, cel phones are already illegal while driving, yet I see people on them constantly. It really isn't enforced very well around here. I wish that weren't true.

I live in NY too. Honestly this law doesn't make me feel any safer. I worked as a cat attendant for years (stupid but it made money), and almost daily I was nearly ran over by idiots on cell phones who would proceed to give me the dirty look. I knew occasional people game while driving, but didn't realize it was bad enough to require a law against it... this just scares me. It won't stop most people and I'd rather not die because some idiot just needed to finish that one chapter in Fire Emblem.

So... they actually had to create a law for this? That should just be lumped into the mobile device law and be done with it.

I'm amazed people can play video games at all while driving, regardless of whether it's against the law. Unless it's a level grinder like pokemon where all you need is one hand, how do you have enough hands to play and drive at the same time?

Anyway, this is a good law to enforce, despite it just enforcing common sense.

I'd like to see what the person responsible for killing a family after a horrific crash says to the rest of the family after they were caught playing on thier PSP. You will never live something like that down, if you think it's a stupid law, I say put you in a country where there are little or no laws where you can run around and do whatever the hell you like, no laws means no restrictions......for anyone.

If I was born 200 years ago, I would have lived in that country. Our founding fathers didn't seem to have a problem with it.

The sad part is that if they're passing this law, some dumbass probably had to try it and cause an accident.

I don't understand how so many people are comparing gaming and texting to radio. Yes, people can get in a crash from using the radio, but at most it's a few seconds. Texting takes away MUCH more of your time that you'd spend looking at the road, as does gaming. It's not just a second and a half to hit a button.

How about you drive while you drive and NOTHING MORE?

Cell phones have terrified me far worse than alcohol when it comes to others behind the wheel.

Ok, I will play Mario Kart DS while I drive. Thanks for the advice!

Haha, kidding aside, I think that driving while texting is on par with driving under the influence. Technically you are driving under the influence (of a cell phone) when you're texting and driving.

As to gaming while driving, I didn't know that it was such a bad problem, but if it saves someone, I guess it's worth it.

* If the law forbidding gaming while driving saves someone, it's worth it.

Will this affect my jigsaw puzzles on the way to work?

It seems that the only valid (Read: Not fucking retarded) reason commenters have for not liking this law is a "Waste of taxpayer's money" on something that should be "common sense."

It would be a waste, if it wasn't actually a problem. Common sense dictates not to drive while you're totally fucking wasted, yet the few people who had common sense to begin with lose it upon becoming inebriated. Common sense dictates that you shouldn't stare at your cell's screen while driving, among other things. But these are all problems, for some effed up reason, so sadly, we need laws like this, to better prosecute the fucknuggets who do this shit.

Also, all the folks commenting on how it's a violation of freedoms... seriously? Can you honestly delude yourself into such nonsense? Next thing we know, they're going to ban specific things, like using guns to shoot people! They should either ban it all, and make hunting and armed officers illegal, or nothing! Good grief, crazy government!

Its reduntant. All states already have reckless driving and reckless endangerment laws. Texting/gaming/reading while driving is already covered. This is just a law to make the politicians look good, and most of you have bought it hook, line, and sinker.

This isn't about making people safer, its about making useless politicos look like they're "doing something".

I don't live in or near any state that's passed any such law. My state did recently pass a "no-texting" law, that bans any viewing of 'readable information' on a cellular phone, and imposes harsher penalties if caught doing so. I don't know the details of this law, or what penalties it imposes related to what the old laws did, but I know that our new law does serve a heftier fine then what one would have received under a catch-all reckless driving ticket, which you would be extremely unlikely to get for holding a phone up to your face unless you're already on the side of the road with someone's limbs in your spokes.

>_> (Reply fail)

Because its a useless pointless law that makes something that was already illegal (reckless driving) a new kind of illegal (gaming/texting/reading while driving). Its fluff legislation.

At least it isn't done at the federal level. Then we'd have a "gaming while driving czar" to help manage the infinite bureaucracy that the feds will create to help manage, educate, and police the new law. :(

Stupid reply button. Ignore this one.

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Previous 50 Comments

NY State proposing ban on gaming while driving

Reader Comments (98)

Posted: Jul 18th 2009 1:05AM Sly C said

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