Lets just all stop breathing

IT IS!!!!!

this is why all of these parents are laying there kids to rest...... they are playing to much while driving and this is why they end up dead...... if it wasnt for texting while driving these 5 teens may still be alive......

teens using their cellphones in cars should be legally punished as i said before. these types of distractions on the road for the age group of 16-21 are and proven to be lethal. lets get a memorandum to ban these phones at least when were driving., lets keep americans safe on the road.  we have enough distractions  and problems in the world to deal with. stress is at an all time high.

IT IS ILLEGAL! Put Down the phones and pay attention to the road.  If the messages and calls are so important, pull over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes

I think that it is more dangerous to text on your cell while driving than it is to make a call.  When making or receiving a text while driving pulls your attention more from the road than when you dial a number and talk.

Uh isn't it already illegal?  Hands free.....no talking on cell phone while driving should automatically include texting.  I think texting while driving is more dangerous than just talking!!!  Like they said above, pull over if you need to talk to someone that desperately, otherwise pay attention and drive for crying out loud.

Absolutely, unequivocally, yes.  Enough lives have been carelessly lost due to this.  Not just teens either, anyone remember the police officer who plowed through pedestrians because he was texting while driving?  

Just my 2 cents though.  

I think texting is more dangerous then talking on the phone when driving!

It already is illegal.The problem is enforcing it. I see some cops talking on their cellphones without using headsets while driving anyway. So if they wont follow the law themselves how can we expect them to be able to enforce it to the general public...

i c more ppl texting while driving then talking... its a very dangerous thing to do and im sure we will c more ppl getting hurt and or killed because of this. but there is a law that says you cant drive well talking on your phone and everyone still does it.. just like seat belts ppl no they save lives but not everyone wears them... i dont think a law will do much.. its up to the person whos driving to pay attention.

Hey Everyone, thanks for your posts so far....

We've been researching the issue today, and according to both the Onondaga County District Attorney's office and State Police, Driving and Texting is NOT illegal.

There was/is much confusion about the issue. We even received different answers from the two departments earlier this afternoon. We've had a reporter looking into the issue. While driving & texting is not illegal, some could see it as reckless driving, and ticket you for that. The who cell phone law, as it is presently written, is vague.

There is legislation being looked at in Albany that would make driving & texting illegal.

We're working on more for our newscast beginning at 5pm.

Thanks
Shaun, Web Producer

PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE NO MORE LAWS. Can't people learn to be responsible for their own actions, without a law. We have to many laws now!!! The cell phone law should cover texting. You have to hold the phone to text so there you are. It covers it!

PUT DOWN THE PHONES AND PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR DRIVING OR PULL OVER TO TEST MESSAGE OR TO MAKE A CALL YOU ARE ONLY PUTTING YOURSELF IN DANGER BUT EVERYONE ELSE AS WELL.  IF YOU NEED TO TAKE A CALL OR TEXT MESSAGE PULL OVER.  YOUI CAN'T CONCENTRATE ON DRIVING WHEN YOU HAVE A PHONE IN YOUR EAR OR TRYING TO TYPE LETTERS OR MESSAGES INTO THE PHONE YOU NEED FULL CONCENTRATION TO DRIVE AND IF YOU DON'T YOU SHOULD'NT BE DRIVING WITH A CAR FULL OF PEOPLE AFTER ALL YOU ARE THE RESPONCIBLE ON REMEMBER!!! YOU'RE THE DRIVER.......

This is ridiculous - there already is a law and for the most part totally ignored.  I can take a 5 minute drive from my home and count at least 10 people that are on the phone.  We don't need a new law - just enforce the one we have.

the attention and time it takes to text a message, major accidents could easily happen. action in the state assembly is necessary to curb this evil, non-human practice.maybe a temporary ammendment to legally ban texting.can people today turn their attentrions to more practical methods of communication to prevent lethal results. i dont think those earphones nare promoting safety either. look, use the phone in emergencies only; hopefully while the car has stopped moving. after all, only you can prevent car fires.

didnt i tell you people this would happen.  most crimes,to reitterate, are commited by the age group of 15-25 includind vehicular crimes. focus on this age group, change the cell phone laws, and concentrate [the police] on urban areas; anybody see the news on drivers ticketed for hacving no licenses; is anybody surprised; im not. sweep the area of criminals ; stiffen penalities, and make examples of these kids who have no respect for human life.

 shaunganley....you wrote that  you have been researching the issue today, and according to both the Onondaga County District Attorney's office and State Police, Driving and Texting is NOT illegal.  If that is the case then why are they giving out tickets. People need to realize that when you get behind the wheel of a car that your car is just like a weapon, you must be in control of it at all times or someone will get hurt or worst yet they may die from a very stupid mistake. This is not just a problem with young drivers, just today I was almost hit when a women around the age of 40 almost blew thru a red light. I was lucky because I was aware of what was going on around me at the time and saw her coming and realized she was not going to stop, as she realize the light was red she slammed on her brakes leaving a tread on the road. I was close enough to see a cell phone in her hand and the fear in her eyes as she realized what she did. I was upset and yelled out my window if you were paying attention and not on your phone you would of seen the light, she was nice enough to show me the bird at call me a b..ch like it was my fault that she was to busy on her phone to see a RED LIGHT.
   I myself have a cell phone and I am sure that like mine everyone else has voice mail. Let the voice mail take the call, it not worth your life or someone else's life to take that call or text message....think about how you would feel if you were the cause of killing someone with your car.

it's sad but kids die in car crashes, its not texting per se (although that is a new distraction)  distraction of any type kills drivers, add the inexperience of the young drivers and their odds get even worse...

when we are young we know it all and have very little fear... but we made it through, "most" of them will too.... but don't blow a sad situation all out of proportion, someone said "if not texting 5 people might still be alive"

well, if nocars 5 people might be alive too...  auto deaths are down nationwide no increasing... it will never be 0 till we take humans out of the picture

just don;t get too caught up on "texting" its  

There are DWI laws too but that doesn't stop people from drinking and driving.  At some point, people need to be responsible for their own actions.  Let it be another lesson...using a cell phone in any way while operating a motor vehicle can lead to tragedy.  DON'T DO IT!!!

The driver was also driving after dark while on a jr. licence.  I wonder if the insurance company will pay off after learning all the facts.  There is only one group to blame, the PARENTS!!!

Yes, included it into the cell phone law. But, the law is nothing if it is not inforced. You can't go thru any intersection, without watching the people drive by on thier cell phones. It can't be to hard for the poilce to catch them, if they wanted to. They seem more concerned with "click it or ticket" for seatbelts, then someone not paying attention to driving because they are on the phone. Is it a dollar issue, are the fines for not having a seatbelt on more then the fines for cell phones? Is the state funding more for that? The law is worthless unless it is inforced. I would like to know how many tickets have been issued in Onondaga county and in NYS since the cell phone law has been if effect? Someone would be less likely to be on a cell phone if the were worried about get a ticket. Maybe points need to given along with a ticket, the same as giving with a speeding ticket. Most people don't want thier car insurance to go up. Hit them in the pocketbook, large fines and points. But, the police need to give out the tickets first.

I can not believe that it is not illegal! It should be covered in the cell phone law! I think it is more dangerous to text while driving than to talk while driving. I personally cant text with out completely looking at my phone and not paying attention to it. I could not emagine doing it and driving at the same time. Theese teens that are driving and texting should have thier liscenses suspended if they are caught until they are mature enough to be responsible for others lives. If they are in an accident and hurt someone because of texting I think it should be an attempted murder charge because they purpously got behind the wheel and ment to do a dangerous act that could result in the death of another persons life. They should be severly punished! So should any one who intentionally drinks and drives.

Just what we need is more LAWS more BIG BROTHER when in fact the only thing we really need is for people to stop being STUPID.  Are laws made because people are just too darned stupid to figure out what is good for them ??  It sure seems so!

It is already illegal to use hand held cell phones  ALL cell phone use should not be done while driving  PEOPLE  use your heads  pull safly over to use cell phones  driving is not a mutily tasking activity  more than your live is at stake

Texting while driving is worse than talking one the phone while driving!!!!!!!!

I believe that texting while driving is even more dangerous that talking on your cell phones!! It's against the law to talk on your cell while you drive and it should also be illegal to text and drive!!

This really should be a no-brainer.  Of course it should be illegal!  And as for the person that said please...... no more laws--wake up! whether people follow them or not, we need them, if not as a deterrent, then to hold responsible those who cause accidents and kill innocent people.

This is a no-brainer.  The current law, which does NOT need more study and expansion by the Legislature, prohibits the use of cell phones in a moving vehicle without a hands free device, e.g. a headset.  I'd personally be mystified to discover how one could text message without manually operating the phone.  The greater problem is that it is easy to hide the texting process from outside observation, because the phone does not have to be at your ear.  Sadly, it also diverst one's attention from the road, as do so many other activities.

Given that I still see large numbers of people talking while driving, asking legistlators to add more language to the current, perfectly adequate law strikes me as pompous and a waste of time.  Of course, that has never bothered anyone in Albany...

Knock Knock is there anybody home ? Hello ? Now Aside from the Obvious FACT that by the ripe old age of 16 Or even 18 are you Brain broke parents under the misguided notion that "Yes" even your Honor Role kiddy's have NOT spent enough time On Terra firma  to have enough raw brain power between the ear's to let them know that while yes Mommy and Daddy may very well have purchased enough Minutes for them to Text till there senior year But Ne they have NOT yet racked up enough hours on this planet to power a 15watt light bulb But by Hey you kiddy's go right ahead and presume all  you want about your Cat like reflects and the Honest capability's of your 85 horse power SUV that until last month had not ever even started So if you folks Need yet two more tons of worthless No brainier Laws on the Books that are looked at and viewed By Our Caring law enforcement "professionals" as just One more way of generating revenue. Look at it this way what would become of all the Law enforcement Departments if say WE all decided to STOP GETTING TRAFFIC  TICKETS ?