A new law being proposed in New Jersey aims to crack down on distracted driving by issuing fines of up to $800 to drivers who take a sip of coffee while driving.
It’s not just coffee that finds itself in New Jersey’s crosshairs, the legislation would prohibit “any activity unrelated to the actual operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle on a public road or highway.” That includes grooming, eating, and yes, drinking coffee.
While the bill does not specifically target coffee, the sponsor of the bill John Wisniewski, says he’s been receiving angry emails from the public, upset that they would not be able to drink their coffee while driving.
Wisniewski is quick to note that the terminology for the new legislation is left deliberately vague so that the law would not have to be changed every time new technology comes on the market. Instead, banning “any activity… that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle” serves as a catch all to allow law enforcement officers to crack down on distracted driving.
Critics of the bill however point out that the fees that would be charged are incredibly high. A first time offender would get hit with a fine between $200-$400. The second time you’re caught, it’s between $400-$600. When a motorist is cited for a third time, the fine increases to $600-$800 and they face a 90-day suspension of their license.
Wisniewski however claims that despite the fines, the law is intended to be used as an educational measure, similar to how the seatbelt laws encouraged the motoring public to start wearing seatbelts. When that legislation went in to effect, there was an immediate decrease in traffic fatalities, a feat which Wisniewski hopes to replicate.
“The resistance to the (seat belt) legislation was loud, and we did it gradually,” he said according to NJ.com. “In the same way, this is gradual. It gives police one additional tool.”
What?!?
I can’t chug on my Starbucks while chasing a Pokemon down the wrong side of the highway?!?
BS
Lol
Lol
Ha ha, sooooooo funny!!!
I have to agree with this law, because targeting only drivers who are using their cell phones ignores the other ways that a driver can cause a serious accident by being distracted. What about changing the CD in the player? Pulling that sun visor down to check a bump on their face? And then there’s the one distraction that causes the most accidents, driving with passengers. But with the encouragement to carpool, will passengers ever be outlawed?!
?
I sooo agree. I guess next they will force us to stop every hour to drink, water, coffee or whatever.
If it become law most fast food will have to shut down drive through. It it a seat down breakfast,snack,lunch, and dinner. If I am a fastfood resturant will convert it to a tip requirement, too. The world is getting screw by the law.
Well said, I’m sick of the control.
They don’t have the right to create most of the laws created.
Except through our complacent silence.
At least that’s how is suppose to be, WE THE PEOPLE !
What a joke that is.
Or DON’T TREAD ON ME ?
Yah ok.
I have to disagree with this law. Drinking coffee or any other beverage while driving is not dangerous per se. In fact, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I would rather a fatigued driver be drinking coffee than driving fatigued ( or better yet pull over and rest). We all know that is the best option but it doesn’t happen all the time. An alert driver is a safer driver, bar distractions. It also depends on the driving conditions, mountain driving (don’t) versus straight freeway driving on a straight, flat freeway (do, if tired). A lot of traffic versus very little traffic. City versus country driving (city driving has more traffic entering and exiting the highway. I think that this is best left up to the discretion of the driver. He knows when taking one hand off the wheel to drink coffee is prudent or not. Once again, law enforcement has to take a heavy hand, yet more senseless, needless legislation same way as they no longer parking on entrance/exit ramps (would they rather an exhausted driver keep on driving or stop?) Does anyone not see that this is a ploy for a badly needed source of revenue in the state of New Jersey?
What next? You get a ticket for scratching a body part while driving? Or farting while driving? Both are distracting.
I also disagree. There is nothing that prohibits a law enforcement official to pull someone over who is driving erratically. That practice would target those persons who are actually endangering others. harassing someone because they are holding a cup or can, despite how they are driving, is just paving the way for law enforcement to site anyone they subjectively feel is distracted, and generate a new revenue stream.
When I look down into the 4 wheelers beside me 8 of 10 ten people are on their phones texting. When driving on any city highway going around curves (i77 in Columbia SC) watch the cars beside you now, they almost always end up in your lane because of playing with their phones. I received a letter from my insurance company last month that stated they are raising our rates because of increased accidents, when my family hasn’t had any, so why are we paying for people’s stupidity of texting and driving? I don’t look down and see people drinking coffee all over the road, it’s the people on their cell phones causing the problems. So will someone sue the manufacturers for putting cup holders in the vehicles? It’s like giving a crack head a pipe and a paycheck and saving don’t do drugs. I have a cup holder and a paycheck, I’m going to use my cup holder and my attorney and myself will just go to court over a ticket for drinking coffee and driving.
And only attorney gonna win..
I think you should get ticketed for looking into other peoples vehicles while driving! ???
We’re trained to look into other people’s vehicles. Try to make eye contact and/or detect the drivers awareness.
Yeah!! What are they telling us now? “See something, say something!”
Your just looking for a short skirt driver lol
Making eye contact with other drivers is a basic tenet in defensive driving courses. 😉
If idiots wouldn’t swerve into our lanes because they’re playing on their damn phone AND not try to ride beside us, thy wouldn’t have to worry about us looking. When you insist on staying next to us you make our hobby all the more damn dangerous. DON’T RIDE NEXT TO, IN FRONT OF OR TAILGATE US!!!!!!!! 80,000lbs (40 tons for the idiots) a car on average is 2,500lbs. Do the math
I think that people that do strange things while driving sould pull off the side of the road,finish what isbeing dicussed and then get arrested.
Boy you are not lieing, what a joke!!!
I think a good cop would know better, but how many good cops are left,???
Like truck drivers don’t text and drive. That’s funny right there.
They’re not always using their cell phones; they’re checking the directions on their GPS. Drinking coffee while driving is not dangerous under certain conditions. It’s just more overkill.
I agree brother all these companies in their stupid rules putting themselves above the actual laws that are on the road none of this should be allowed and I completely agree about people on cell phones in cars as I am a class one driver myself
I take a medication that requires me to drink more water than the average person. Therefore I usually have an open bottle of water in the cup holder. Is the state of New Jersey asking me to chose between a ticket or a urinary tract infection?
I think that they are suggesting a choice between a ticket, an infection, or driving. We tend to ignore that last one, because it is so impractical to give that one up, for most people, most of the time.
I hope that LAW ENFORCEMENT also will respect the new law. Even the highway worker’s drink and eat while driving. This has to apply to EVERYONE.
Oh yes, I was going down the list here to see if someone would comment on this. I’ve seen the state polive and city cops on their cell phones and yes drinking coffee as they cruise by etc…lol…they better start setting an example if their going to ticket for the same. If people just wouldn’t text n drive that would illuminate over 50% of distractions.
if not…may they choke on a donut.
Good luck with that one. LOL
Thanks MOM!!!
OMG!!! The government is getting that bored to waste the tax payers money to dream up that stupid law..
I do know for a fact, if your driving in California and the cops see you snacking on chips, that’s a ticket. It’s against the law to eat while driving.
Gotta love the people we put in office. LOL..
Lol..driver I just delivered in CA, Picked up a load going out of CA….I will have to put my chips away…yes sir…lmao
Drinking coffee,reading a book,texting, taking selfies, etc. All can be considered distracting. I think the bottom line is that people don’t take driving serious. You are in control of a 3000+ pound projectile. Maybe if people would just slow down a bit,and use a proper following distance, leave your house with plenty of time. The powers at be wouldn’t have to make laws such as this. We all become comfortable with the routine of driving the same road every day. But you aren’t the only person on the road.
Too many people have too many demands on too little time, so we have become accustomed to doing more than one thing at a time, out of simple necessity. Perhaps the are better times to multitask, but then again, perhaps there aren’t. It depends on the forces influencing each individual in their situation. It probably isn’t very considerate to others, to place them at risk for your time constraints, but it also isn’t particularly considerate to try to dictate priorities for other people, based upon your own needs.
The core of the problem lies in the demands on people’s time. If that could be resolved, this would be a non-issue – but it really can’t; and instead of trying, we continue to come up with ways to make it worse.
In a fourteen-hour day, we need time to eat and drink, too, or hunger and thirst become driving distractions, much as eating and drinking while driving, are. But we have to get to the places where we have to be, in the time that we are given, or it costs us more time, our livelihoods, and/or our safety. So we drive when we are tired, because it’s not yet our designated time to sleep, or we eat while we drive, because we lost our planned meal break to an unforseen construction, weather, or DoT stop, or accident-related delay. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than running out of hours before you get to that safe place to park the tanker of gasoline. The guy driving next to you might be annoyed by your divided attention, but he would be more annoyed if you had to park in front of his house, because you ran out of hours.
We are too eager to assume that the other guy’s judgement is flawed, and make up rules to take the judgement call away from him. But it’s a double-edged sword, and we are also taking away our own judgement calls.
And unlike law, judgement improves with practice.
Your cab, with trailer, is more like 50,000 pds. Don’t know where you came up with 3000?
Hey..”ANYDRIVER”
I believe Alexander was not referring to a big truck (etc), the reference was made to people who drive vehicles in general, which do weigh 3000 Lb +.
Anyhow, this new “law” of consuming any and / or all common beverages while driving is ridiculous. New Jersey law enforcement has been well known to be crooked since we’ll before “The Hurricane ” threw his first punch. Its nothing short of simply one additional bullet in their revolver.
Having said that, I fully agree that some form of “specific” law directed at distracted driving needs to be enacted.
I live in Ontario Canada and if some law maker here would attempt to apply a traffic infraction for me drinking my Tim Hortons as I head down the road, he (or she)would be pelted with Tim Bits !!
Truck with an empty trailer is closer to 34,000 lbs, don’t know where YOU got 50,000 from. BTW is believe the post you commented to was talking about the weight of a car, not a tractor trailer.
My truck is 50kish empty. We don’t all drive an empty box around. ?
It’s a Health and Safety issue being taken to a new level…and an absurd one at that…all the maneuvers involved in drinking Coffee/Water does not take your Eyes off the Road…whats next, Scratching-Switching the Radio on/off-Using your CB… the possibilities of abuse by the Authorities is mind-boggling and you’d better believe it… all it takes is 1 State to latch onto a Moneymaking scheme and before you know the rest will be at it…
Using a cb is illegal unless it is hands free.
No sir it is not show where that is said please
Feel free to cite that regulation for us, you won’t find it and for good reason. Because if that law DID exist, cops wouldn’t be able to use theirs!
Cops do what they want, like the law dont apply to them. They tslk on thfer cell, drick a cup of Jo, and snack on donuts… a little double standard!
I just returned from Ghana where the people are freer than those here in “the land of the free”. They don’t have as much stuff but they’re happier than those in a land of a “pursuit of happiness”. I’m feeling pretty claustrophobic upon my return.
One thing people need to understand is that you’ll never stop accidents and you’ll never stop death. Despite the introduction of many new laws, all these thing continue at the same pace.
I’m sure the legislators know this, therefore they are merely mining for more money out of the idiots that continue drive within the borders of communistic states. .
So true
Got my coffee take a sip drive 3 or 4 miles pull over take a sip drive 3 or 4 miles take a sip, think I would be ticketed. Some unrelated driving activities are needed to keep drivers from being board and start drifting. Like playing music to sing with and some be bouncing around with, 100 % straight driving will increase crashes.This must be where the next segment comes in, Drowsy driving ticket. What a game for hwy safety FUNDING, get them raises in pay while we go broke. Americans take America Back. To much Government
No,no,no…….this is too much and too vague. What if your wife is going to have a baby and you are on your way to the hospital? Is that distracted driving? Does that mean that pregnant women in their 3rd trimester are not allowed to ride in cars in new jersey? What about after they are born? Babies scream alot,they are a distraction, are they going to ban babies in new jersey? And so on and so on.
I knew some simpleton would come up with some ridiculous response.
The simpletons are in the NJ legislature!
They only wants money,nothing yelse they made laws because goverment are broke and pushing states to made stupid laws,i agree for phones but coffe,will never go east any more
Next take down billboards and ban car lots close to highways while you’re at it put all the highways underground there’re a lot of nice views that are distracting too
Raising revenue in the name of safety,.
What a perpetuating scam, what a perfect readon to ignore peoples freedoms and rights,.
oh wait a minute what freedoms or rights,.?
The gummint will keep on persecuting people in the name of safety, it’s good business.
You Know What it was never the law that made me put on that seatbelt it was the irritating buzzer or bell or whatever that made me change and that is the way it should be about distracted driving interfear with the signal reception on phones I know they have scramblers that they use on bridges in new York to prevent you from using cruise control so it is possible to do the same in a vehicle same thing is done at truck stops where they block incoming signals for internet connections so you have to use there subscription service.
What state are you talking about? I use cruise control on NYC bridges ( no external signal can prevent use of cruise control), I use my own data at all truck stops because I turn my phone into a wifi hotspot.
What country are you driving in? Obviously not the US.
It gives police one additional tool?? Tool for new abuse for taking a sip of coffee? Come on. Why can’t they just offend everyone by taking off all the moving object on the road, so everyone might use their legs. This will stop all the fatalities on the road.
Yep more ways to generate money and control over the public and society as a whole.
This is the law in the UK. I have a friend who got a ticket for having a sip from a water bottle while sitting at a red light, although I believe the fines are not as extreme (less than $100).
But what next? Can you light a cigarette? Move the sun visor? Pick your nose?? We’ll have to drive everywhere in 1st gear because some attorney somewhere is going to say that changing gear is a distraction!!
Fact:- My father pulls over to change channels on the radio because he’s so afraid of getting tickets….
This better not just target truckers, because there seriously needs to be something done about all the distracted 4 wheelers too.
Its all about the money.
The seatbelt law was put on the books because of the insurance industry because wearing seat belt does reduce the chances of injuries thus saving them money on a payout
Really? Why did the automotive industry resist airbags for so long? Answer: because it wasn’t considered cost effective by corporate.
New Jersey sux anyway. Thank god I live in Kentucky. Where you can consider everything legal until told otherwise.
I wouldn’t live in a state ( north eastern ) where everything is considered illegal until told otherwise .
Minnesota has had a similar law for many years. Usually police will issue citation after an accident. Works pretty good. That way you don’t have to make new laws every time technology changes. For example it’s not illegal in Minnesota to talk on a cell phone. But if you get in a accident while you were on a cell phone you will get a distracted while driving ticket.
This is how DUI laws used to be nation wide.
Change the speed
Limit now add new law cause revenue is down. They will squeeze you any way they can
in AZ you don’t even need to drink coffee to get you a target for cops they’re down the road watching for trucks to get stopped without any reason.
This is true!
I got pulled over by one of Arizona’s finest DOT. Although he was a very polite officer, the reason he gave me to do a roadside check was so that “they couldn’t say I am profiling when I make the big bust out here.”
What a STUPID law! States are needing more and more money because of their bloated budgets so it’s time to rob truckers to pay for it again! Get the 4-wheelers, too, or don’t do it at all! Oh! And John Wisniewski, the law applies to you as well so keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes glued to the road buddy!!
This is just more Government control that we don’t need or want. I am sure, in time, that the public will be in agreement though.
I almost hit a guy walking, he was staring at his phone turned unexpectedly and started walking across the street while I was making a left turn with cars coming at me. I almost hit him, he never once took his eyes off the phone. If a police officer was around I would have been charged with improper left turn. If I hit the guy it would have been my fault.
These idiots are not only driving but walking among us. I don’t know if more laws are the answer but common sense is dead or dying.
I cant drive without a coffee, back in the day we had no cup holders, I had a coffee and a cigarette in one hand, shifting with the other while I kept the truck heading in the right direction with standard steering (no power steering)
I did not have the time or luxury to be distracted. LOL
George..I remember those days ! I never smoked,but I had pop in one hand “shifting 13 speeds with the other while I kept the truck heading in the right direction with standard steering (no power steering) The cops didn’t mess with you for no reason (unless you really screwed up ! LOL!) Nowdays cops are just “Looking to cause trouble” It’s called being a “Bully”. The mean guys I knew in high school that couldn’t get along with others….became police officers. No a suprise there.
No, it’s called law enforcement and they are looking for revenue to fill coffures (sp?) in poor counties, which are many. Without that incentive, they wouldn’t bother truckers at all.
I see just as many law enforcement officers fiddling around with things in there vehicles while driving as I do the average citizens. So that means music is distracting and what about those highway alert signs that causes everyone to brake to try and read at 65 mph there also distracting.
In WA state you can watch the cops use their computer while rolling. Usually at a rate of speed not even close to the speed limit.
Just like anything else, safety is a biproduct of a money making scheme by state governments.
It is impossible to pass laws that will force people to use common sense while driving. Every day we see drivers, four-wheelers and truck drivers, drive with no regard to common sense. Tailgating, talking on the phone, filling out a paper log book when approaching a scale, and so many more.
Can I scratch my eye if it’s itching or is that an even bigger fine for driving while tired and taking my hand off the wheel. What about blinking–I’m literally driving blind!
Wow, just WOW!!!! You people are so infringed upon aren’t you, I mean, shouldn’t we just live in a land where there is NO law, shouldn’t we just be able to do what ever we want, and to hell with everyone else??? Well, put your big boy/girl panties on and listen up! Every law we have on the books is paying for the sins of people who came before you! If we didn’t kill each other, if we simply respected all life, there would be no laws against murder, because it would not happen. If we didn’t steal from each other we wouldn’t have laws against stealing, because it wouldn’t be happening, see?!?! But as a society we have gotten to the point where we respect NO ONE!!! We simply do as we please and we feel we are Entitled to do so! Let us not forget, driving is a PRIVILEDGE, not a right! The far majority of even those who will read this, if you are honest with yourselves, act as though it’s a right, think of it as a right, and are already pissed off at me, c’est la vie . . . I have driven almost 1,000,000 miles, and there are many more out there who have done more, 100,000 miles a year is not alot, and we’ve seen everything, all of you in your cushy little world with no regard for the safety of others around you on the road, no thought as to wether or not there driving skills are up to handling whatever jack-wagon move you’re about to pull on them, just do as you please and everyone else be damned.
Now, think how much safer the roads would be if we all obeyed just the laws that are in place? How much more predictable would traffic be if we all were required to drive safe cars, (inspected!), if we drove in the right lane and passed in the left, used turn signals, turned corners properly, obeyed speed limits, and yes, most of all . . . DROVE!!! not drinking, eating, texting, reading, wearing headphones, earbuds or whatever, did our make-up, shaved, whatever. Driving is not down time, it’s driving. It’s not time to catch up on anything else, it’s time to focus on driving. The only reason people are so passionate about it is because we’re tired of seeing people senslessly die, and NO it is NOT your RIGHT!!! Oh, that’s right, “It’s not gonna happen to me, I got this”, yep, cause all those other people left the house that morning and said, “Ah yes, today is the perfect day to put my head through the windshield, let’s see who I can take with me . . .” WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
Can’t hear you from way up there on your soap box
Is it Sunday already? I thought I heard preaching from the choir.
Eating and drinking while driving has been on the books forever in most states, however, it is largely not enforced.
Fear not, Robert, if this piece of crap legislation passes you can be sure it will be enforced. I can guarantee it.
No distracted driving means: NO DISTRACTED DRIVING!!!
No eating, drinking, smoking, gum chewing, tobacco/seed spitting, nose blowing/picking, phone, music, coughing, yawning, burping, sneezing, farting, radio adjusting, window rolling, messing with climate controls, AND ABSOLUTLEY NO FALLEN EYELASHES IN YOUR EYE!!!
Did I miss anything???
That about sums it up
No problem. Take a trip. Drive 11 hours. Take all the breaks you want BUT ABSOLUTELY NO DISTRACTIONS. That lonely road gets mighty long with no radio, no music, no audio book. Stopping to take a drink will also become a headache. Try it. You’ll love it.
This is a perfect example of what I call “playing the carnage card.” Weak-minded, power-hungry individuals play this card every chance they get—at the expense of the rest of us.
Its called revenue inhancemen…these laws are so vague in what a distraction is.. Is a good sneeze a distration? Smoking? Trying to find an address along the street? Just a way to enlarge that municipalities coffers… Sounds good BUT where will it end?
Write to your congressperson to stop this bill !
Well this is New Jersey, not really surprised here. I’ve hated that open air dump since day one. I’ve heard enough stories of corrupt cops too. The state’s treasury is probably running on low and now they need to find new revenue sources.
Yet another example of New Jersey extortion.
Make sure you don’t get caught breathing while driving…unfortunately, breathing isn’t directly related to the task of driving a vehicle. I’ll drink my coffee or eat my sandwich while driving if I want to. Whats wrong? Just because YOU can’t take a sip of coffee or eat a sandwich while safely driving, doesn’t mean I can’t. What about these idiots that drive down the road fixing their hair, putting on make-up, making out with the passenger? Next thing you know, they are gonna say we can’t use brakes in the winter because it causes the car to slide and is unsafe. Aren’t there other more important issues to write laws for?
I’m assuming this also applies to idiots in their four wheelers too, right? Women farding in traffic and idiots fiddling with their radio controls too, yes?
Just another stupid law made by elites who don’t have a clue. I honestly think we need another revolution.
Well I think everyone should have the same fine as a truck driver 2700 fine equal fine for for all
FUBAR
This should convince all those who are convinced that trucking citations are only for the public good. I say what you never got a ticket in the dark of night in a deserted construction zone? Grow up people its all about $$$$ not safety.
What’s next? Methane gas detectors connected to a Blue Tooth system to see if farting is causing a distraction?
I Wonder if this “Politician” took the time to investigate what it takes to drive a truck. Does he knows or have any idea what a sip of coffee does on a body after driving 4 hours at night? Or it’s a decision taken over the knees without any analysis of cause and consequences? As soon as this is approved I’l quit driving and if we stop for a week I would love to see the response of the public when they see shelves empty at all stores. Remember when the bottom moves the things on the top fall down.
The absolutely massive problem with this proposed version is the very vagueness the guy says will give officers discretion not to write coffee sippers. Because… Drumroll… It gives officers discretion TO write coffee sippers. Without language preventing them from writing it for whatever they can make fit, they’ll do exactly that.
I don’t even want to TOUCH the ridiculous expansion of profiling this enables. Driving while black / brown will get that much harder.
Hello. I am not thinking New Jersey has thought to, issue tickets to people starting their engines, nor moving their tires on their roads, nor burning their air for combustion in the engine, nor for the colors of their vehicles- what eyesores ! Vehicles take up spaces where plants could be growing… a space tax. Perhaps we should implement a New Jersey tax, imposed upon residents who travel away from their home state- an American Alert Tax ! Everywhere they go, an extra tax for being from New Jersey. The New Jersey Apologist Tax: We in New Jersey are sorry, we can not earn your money, we have to take it from you. Perhaps that will be enough to discourage them from migrating back into reality. Stay away from my coffee. If you get in my truck, I will use my seat belt to strangle you.
I love you and I don’t even know you! That is hilarious!
As if the outrageous tolls they charge on the Turnpike weren’t enough. New Jersey is hard pressed for revenue and the legislatures are smacking their lips and rubbing their hands together with this lucrative piece of crap legislation. Yeah, like seat belts compare to drinking coffee, sheesh!
And how many law enforcement people have you seen talking on their cell phone, or looking at a laptop located to the right of the driver seat while driving, failing to signal Lane changes, or slamming on their brakes in traffic to go chase someone. Talk about distracted driving!
Don’t go there….we truckers also look to our GPS devices for directions while driving.
Maybe now some of these people riding there dogs around in there laps while there driving will get a doggy seat.
I didn’t even read the other comments but what you’re saying is these people also can’t listen to the radio, because it has the same distractions. What is New Jersey going to do about that?
Awesome, so they are cracking down on everything which does not have to do with the actual safe operation of the vehicle and is a distraction. So, I imagine they will make, as stated, drinking coffee illegal, as well as changing the radio station or even listening to the radio, wild animals crossing the roadway as it is a distraction, billboard signs, street signs, GPS, turn signals, passengers as they speak and distract the driver, weather changes, chewing gum, other vehicles, day dreaming, thinking about anything other than the operation of that vehicle, restroom urges, sneezing, hiccups, yawning, singing or humming as your concentration is on something else, worrying about your life problems, itching and thus scratching, muscle cramps, stretching, passing gas, that ringing in your ears since you will hear it more often without the radio playing, etc. Yep, if it has the potential to be a distraction, it must go because people are unable to multitask.
Here is an idea. Why not have people learn to drive like they have a functioning brain cell still floating around in that empty chasm they call a head.
Just another way to control our lives..
If you can’t drove your rig and drink coffee without crashing, find a new career.
So drive and stay alert…and don’t become a zombie…lol
That’s just a bunch of politicians creating job security.
They’re just a bit lax on the cell phone and texting enforcement. How on earth will they add a Latte’ to their list of crimes and misdemeanors ?
Probably have to type that little news nugget into their laptops one handed, so they don’t spill their double caffein expresso. (snicker)
Enough is enough! So law enforcement would rather deal with the road rage and accidents because of people driving tired and cranky than letting us have our cup of Joe? Or maybe they would rather see more people out there taking drugs to stay awake. Get out there and take care of the real law breakers and leave the law abiding drivers alone!
Simple, dont go to new jersey, if semis inconvenience them, they can go without.
One heck of a difference between seat belts and sipping coffee.
Maybe ban the sale of coffee altogether.What the hell next.
I see floor buckets and long straws in my future. LOL
Smokers beware. It was reported decades ago that smokers were four times more likely to die in a car crash. Immediately State Farm offered a 15% discount to non-smokers. Wonder what effect smoking has non distracted driving?
I hope this law cites 4 whellers as well outherwise it’s discrimination or profiling I just won’t pull loads from new jersey unless shippers are willing to cover cost I have to cover my bottom line xtra risk =xtra cost jersey cost of living. Just went up
Isn’t NJ the state that banned 32 oz drinks big gulps etc. Looks like Christies up to bat.
chip, chip, chip, the sound of your freedoms slowly being chipped away.
How about we just don’t deliver to New Jersey
” It gives police one additional tool.” Another lawmaker hepling the police,and courts to make money off you…in the intrest of your safety. Really? Just another way of using the laws to steal from the “working man”. What about the cops talking on his police radio,turning on flashers,etc ? Isn’t THAT “distracted driving “? “any activity unrelated to the actual operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of the vehicle on a public road or highway.” I guess it depends on which side of the “money making ” fence your on. I knew back when they passed the new seatbelt law…the government found a new way to steal…and it wasn’t going to stop there.I had a Battle Creek Michigan State Police officer tell me “to unhook my seat belt,and open the passenger door” Well before he left he wrote me a $50.00 fine for not having my seat belt on ! And he’s the one who told me to unhook it ! Real honest cop ? And they DEMAND your respect ? I was taught “You treat others they way you’d like to be treated ” Just shut up,and take the cops abuse of lies,and deception.?
Hmm.,.so I guess that means that they can’t play with their laptops while THEY are driving. Gee…that’s really gonna put a cramp in the State Troopers style, isn’t it?
New Jersey is becoming as loony as California. At a time when the Police needs all of the positive recognition they can get they come up with a law like this. I hope a lot of people who gets stopped for ” drinking coffee ” accidently on purpose spill the shit on the cop. Let’s see how fast thier polyester pants melts to thier skin, who knows maybe they can sue McDonalds also or at least give the restraurant a ticket. Stupid laws like this and all of the Barney’s that are goofy enough to issue tickets like this is the reason I hate some of the Men in blue ( or I mean blue balls yellow belly uniforms) out there. For those assinine ( I added the extra s on purpose ) to pull someone over for such a petty crime, ( hopefully they are playing Tom Petty on the radio extra loud for the extra satire of it) it doesn’t phase me one bit when they get shot at, I’lol just take another sip of my steaming hot coffee as I drive down the road and maybe flip a burger or two or a finger or two at them while they pull grand ma off the road to steal her social security just because they can. To all the other real cops out there who actually catch the real criminals out there I salute you and keep fighting the good fight, be careful and speed fast on your feet so you can dodge that bullet some idiot has for you because they can’t do the Hokie pokey when you want them to or just don’t want go to the pokey any more because they have already been poked out. Regardless , may these men and women of the law be fast enough to dodge the bullet so it hits the goofy Barney’s behind them that are to busy giving out fart tickets to the homeless for polluting the air.
So in the words of Forest Gump…Dat’s all I gotta say about Da…at!
doesn’t say you can’t sip it through a straw.
This is a hassle law, pure and simple. Cop doesn’t like your attitude, now he’s got another vaguely-worded tool at his/her disposal, and the onus is on you to come back to the state to fight it.
Nevermind that the cop has likely got a coffee of their own at hand, most patrol cars these days have brackets/trays to support an open laptop while they drive. Unbelievable.
OH MY GOD! Can you just imagine how late so many eomen will be to work if they can’t apply their make-up going to work! LMAO!
Revenue….soley for money…there are not studies or alarm bells that has been set off due to the millions of drivers and the decades of drivers drinking coffee while driving.
How about just making it illegal to drive down the road? Once a vehicle gets up some speed there will always be a few running into each other no matter what is done to prevent it. Micro managing risk level is starting to go too far. If we’re going to get in a vehicle and go somewhere we have to be willing to accept a certain level of risk. Forget trying to prevent drivers from drinkin their drinks, they aren’t going to quit. Better let em keep sippin their coffee and stay awake, that’s what’s it’s drunk for anyway. When I was driving 11 hours a day and trying to sleep in a moving truck, I found out how difficult it is to function without caffeine, even though normally it just causes me a few cramps and I stay away from it.
Once these satellite truck and cars come out wont be distracted driving. Lol. Wouldnt dare let one drive me around…… revenue tiket….
I drive a semi drink coffee, shift gears and not spill a drop. Your legislators need to get a real job.
This is wrong ?, one of the only things that keeps a driver awake that is legal is coffee ? !!! . Professional Drivers like myself or avg drivers from long trips or have just been working late need coffee ?, and the movement of having something to do in your vehicle ? helps fight sleep deprivation, of course mixing and making coffee ? in your vehicle is not a good idea ? so some guidelines, common sense is needed.
I’ll put it simply. Ban coffee drinking while driving and TIME TO LOOK FOR A NEW CAREER!! *&^$*@# YOU NEW JERSEY!
Don’t sweat it. They don’t enforce the laws anyway.
Yeah, they do, Will. And with fines in the hundreds they will if this comes to fruition.
Are we seriously trying to prevent accidents by eliminating distracted drivers, or is this another way to raise revenue with frivolous tickets that carry outrageous fines?
If we’re honestly trying to prevent distracted driving it would make sense to offer a warning on a first time violation, and require a class ( driver pays for) on the second, third , etc. Violations.
I believe if we educate the motorist that’s more effect than a fine.
Does anyone not see that this is nothing more than a ruse for badly needed revenue for the state of New Jersey? Why the excessive fines? Another heavy handed Big Brother piece of legislation which is unnecessary. Would they rather a tired driver keep driving or drink coffee to stay alert? And don’t say they should pull over and rest because the reality is many don’t. We, the drivers, best know whether it is prudent or not to drink any beverage while driving and a lot depends on driving conditions, i.e. city versus country, straight, flat freeway versus mountainous curvy freeway, etc. I don’t think we need states or law enforcement ramming another piece of needless legislation down our throats.
I have to disagree here. the law will make it too easy for cops to issue tickets over anything they consider distracting. which means people doing nothing wrong at all. will get a ticket stating they were distracted while driving. and be left with a points and no license over some cop wanting to make a name for their selves.
Pass this law and everytime i want a drink or snack i am going to stop that truck right in the middle of the road so as to not cause an accident while i sip my coffee and eat my breakfast. This law is stupidity.
Just another money grabbing big brother law. I won’t comply and big brother won’t catch me. Been driving for 44 years and drinking coffee and other beverages while driving all types of vehicles. Just getting rediculous.
I live in Phoenix,AZ I will drink my water.
Here is my question. Is this new law only going to apply to commercial veichles only or everyone. It sounds like this one is targeting truck drivers only yet again and I think if this does go through they should make it for everyone. Then they would have everyone fighting this. This law is way too vague. Every time the law goes vague they say its up to the officers discresion. There are huge problems with this. There are already anti cell phone laws and you consistently see people using there handsets and I have only heard of one person getting pulled over for it. The laws are already there just not getting enforced. This new law is just going to open things up for trucker harrassement. Don’t get me wrong you can contest tickets but that takes a lot of money and time returning to court. This may only be in new jersey for now but as we know as soon as one state passes laws it is very common for the rest of the country to follow in suit. I guess if they pass this law they will also need to build many more rest areas and places for trucks to park just so they can take a drink, eat a piece of candy, smoke, get that eyelash out of your eye, eat a piece of fruit, everything. And if this does only apply to trucks it will really suck to see every 4 wheeler drinking their coffee, talking on their phones, eating breakfast, doing their makeup,ect, and then you get a ticket for drinking coffee. Something is very wrong here.
It also gives political ce another reason for a random stop.
98% chance you will have a beverage with you. All the cop needs to say is you were observed drinking a beverage while driving. It’s your word against theirs. Looks like another cash grab to me.