New Jersey Bans Cell Phone Use For All Public Transportation Operators

In the state of New Jersey, it will now be illegal for operators of mass transit vehicles (both those that operate on rails and road) to use cellular phones while in motion. This bill (currently awaiting approval from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie) is the result of an effort by two New Jersey Democratic Senators, Nick Sacco of North Bergen and Brian Stack of Union City, who rallied the New Jersey Assembly into passing the bill 74-0-1. The bill aims to prevent public transportation tragedies like the 1998 Chatsworth Train Collision.Senator Sacco said this about the bill he helped pass, "We know that texting while driving is extremely dangerous, but doing it while operating a public transit vehicle, when the lives of so many people are at stake, is completely unacceptable," he said. "This legislation will send a strong message to transit employees that this behavior will not be tolerated. Hopefully, the threat of jail time and a hefty fine will make operators think twice about pulling out their cell phones while on duty."The penalties described by Senator Sacco are tougher than the cell-phone-usage-while-driving penalties motorists are subject to. Public transit operators found in violation of the new law face an up to six-month prison sentence, a fine of up to $1000, or both. These deterrents have to be higher for Public Transit drivers as they are responsible for the lives of their passengers, and consequently the potential for tragedy is that much greater.Another Senator paramount the bill's passing, Senator Stack, said, "We know that serious accidents can occur when drivers take their eyes off the road for just a few seconds, leading to severe injuries or even death. But when a public transit operator becomes distracted, the results can be catastrophic," said the Senator. "This bill will ensure that bus and train operators who text message while on the job face severe penalties for their actions, and it will put drivers on notice that we are serious about riders' safety."While many New Jersey residents and at least one New York FELA attorney are speculating that some of the bill's momentum stemmed from a recent incident in which a New Jersey Transit Train operator was caught on video texting while operating a train, the main impetus for the bill was the 2008 Chatsworth California train collision. Called the worst US train crash in more than a decade by a leading New York railroad lawyer, the Chatsworth collision took the lives of 25 people, injured another 100 or more, and was caused by an operator who missed a red light due to texting.A preventable tragedy says a New York FELA attorney, who goes on to wonder if any text message if more important than passenger safety. "Hopefully this bill would send a strong message that public safety always supersedes any need to send a text message," answers Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex). "A text message can wait. Public transportation safety cannot." As a supporter of the bill, Diegnan believes, "Some people have become so addicted to their electronic devises that they put others in danger without even thinking about the consequences." Well, the consequences can be enormous, just ask anyone associated with the tragedy at Chatsworth. Going forward, New Jersey Public Transit drivers not concerned about the consequences of their actions will have to deal with the consequences of their selfishness.