It goes without saying that being a responsible driver does carry a whole lot of responsibility and weight on one’s shoulders. Sure, some vehicles from various makes do come with some sort of pedestrian collision sensor that ought to limit injury risk, but most of the time, this will kick in only when the vehicle is moving relatively slowly. At high speeds, such a safety system is more or less irrelevant, and texting or using your phone while driving could result in an accident which might cause death to one or more parties. Hence, many countries have already passed a law that has made texting while driving an illegal action, and the state of New Mexico is about to jump aboard such a bandwagon from tomorrow onward.
This new law that is passed will prohibit drivers from sending or reading text messages and emails, and it applies as long as you are the designated driver and you are behind the wheel, so to check on your email while you are idling away at a stop light does not count in your line of defense if caught.
Apart from that, drivers will be prohibited as well from performing searches on the Internet from smartphones alongside other hand-held wireless devices, where tablets will obviously be part of the equation. Those who are successfully convicted of a first violation of the law will be slapped with a $25 fine, while subsequent violations will see that amount double. Of course, exceptions will always be made, including summoning medical or emergency aid, and if there is that urgent text message that you need to attend to, you can always pull over to the side of the road.
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