Drivers who drink coffee behind the wheel don’t need to worry about getting a ticket in New Jersey any time soon.
The sponsor of a bill targeting distracted driving says his measure doesn’t specifically cite coffee, despite recent news reports focusing on the beverage.
Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniewski said the legislation is aimed at discouraging distracted driving and that he cannot imagine that a police officer would pull anyone over for drinking coffee.
Current law already prohibits texting or talking without a hands-free device. The new legislation is broader and would bar “any activity unrelated to the actual operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle.”
He introduced the measure seven months ago, but he has yet to bring it up for a vote in a committee he leads. It also never came up for a vote in the two previous legislative sessions in which he introduced similar bills.
Wisniewski said he was surprised by the reaction to the legislation. He said the outcry against the bill has been so strong that his inbox has filled up even more than when he proposed a 25-cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax.
Wisniewski said when he introduced the bill before, people worried he was trying to stop them from eating sandwiches while driving.
“It was the ‘ham sandwich bill’ last time,” he said. “Now it’s coffee.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
New Jersey sucks anyway the most corrupt state I e ever been through besides Washington that is there toll roads New Jersey and PA. Are nothing short of highway robbery specially for out of towners and Chris Christie would be a mistake for trump to consider him as part of his administration thank you and God Bless America and God bless Americans cause he definitely knows we need it with what’s going on in this country today
Don’t bet on no policeman stopping you for drinking coffee. There ARE a few that are total gung-go bullies with badges that shouldn’t even be on the job at all. And BTW, most states already have “Driver inattention” laws on the books. – But that’s the Democrat way,,,,”Let’s pass a law”
What a silly law needs to be thrown out.
Is it still OK for me to feel up my girlfriend while I’m driving down the turnpike?
I can understand the outrage, but as a person who has been hit twice this bill is worthy of consideration. My car was hit several years ago in the side by a woman who ran a stop sign. I’m not sure what she was doing but she totaled my car. Fortunately the car’s safety equipment kept me from being totaled also. On a separate occasion my car was rear ended by a driver after his coffee cup holder fell on the floor and slid between the brake peddle and the floor. I also narrowly escaped a driver who ran a red light. He continued talking on his phone all the way through the intersection.
When we get behind the wheel our actions can affect more lives than just our own. We can damage someone else’s property and severely injure or kill innocent people. I don’t think it is asking too much to ask drivers to focus on driving while they are behind the wheel. Most of us can’t multitask too well. Drink the coffee before you get behind the wheel or after you get where you are going.
And keep both hands on the wheel because one might slip. When law makers decide the measure of how well they are doing is measured by the number of laws they pas we are up a creek without a paddle. Democrats= more and more government
All these crooked politicians in new jersey the only thing they do is put more money in their pockets. I used to live there and every three months they raised property taxes by 80 dollars. I went and complained and I got a very nice response. “Its only 80 dollars that is nothing” I told her 80 dollars every three months is 320 a year which you will never lower it. Some of those politicians thinks money grow on trees. Well it does grow on their tree but not mine. I know people who owns a little house and they pay 15 thousand a year.
Nanny state at it’s finest. Next is both hands on the wheel law. What a bunch of morons.