(HE)
BUT FIRST TONIGHT--
AS WE'VE BEEN
REPORTING--
WE ARE JUST WEEKS
AWAY--
FROM THE STATE OF
RHODE ISLAND'S HANDS
FREE LAW.
(MM)
THIS MORNING--
STATE POLICE AND LOCAL
OFFICIALS CAME
TOGETHER--
TO EXPLAIN WHAT THIS
MEANS--
FOR DRIVERS--
AND HOW TO AVOID BEING
PULLED OVER.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
WAS AT TODAY'S EVENT--
AND JOINS US NOW LIVE
FROM THE CAPITAL CITY--
WITH THE IMPORTANT
INFORMATION YOU NEED
TO KNOW.
(KW)
WE ARE LIVE INSIDE A
TRIPLE A CAR AT THEIR
NORTHEAST
HEADQUARTERS IN
PROVIDENCE TO SHOW
YOU SOME OPTIONS FOR
SAFELY AND LEGALLY
USING YOUR PHONE IN
THE CAR.
HERE'S A BLUETOOTH
DEVICE - HEADPHONES -
MOUNT.
EARLIER WE WERE AT A
NEWS CONFERENCE
HERE WHERE STATE
LEADERS EXPLAINED WHY
THIS NEW LAW IS SO
IMPORTANT.
ITS DANGEROUS TO DO NOW -
BUT IT WILL BE ILLEGAL IN
RHODE ISLAND JUNE 1st.
"We don't need statistics to
prove
what we see every day and I'm
sure
that you do too. A frightening
number of people talking,
texting
and checking their phones."
RHODE ISLAND IS GOING
HANDS FREE.
STATE POLICE SAY IT WILL BE A
PRIMARY OFFENSE - MEANING
HAVING A PHONE IN YOUR
HANDS WHILE DRIVING IS
CAUSE FOR GETTING PULLED
OVER.
AND IF YOU DO GET CAUGHT -
ITS A 100 DOLLAR FINE.
"We don't want to make money on
this. We just want people to
live."
STATE LAWMAKERS HAVE BEEN
WORKING ON THIS LEGISLATION
FOR CLOSE TO A DECADE - AND
SAY THE 100 DOLLAR FINE WILL
BE PUT INTO THE STATES
GENERAL FUND - FOR NOW.
THEY HOPE - JUST LIKE WHEN
THE SEATBELT LAW WAS
ENACTED - PEOPLE WILL START
COMPLYING ONCE THEY
CHANGE THEIR HABITS.
"The message is simple. When you
get in your car, put all the
distractions aside, and
concentrate
on one thing. Just drive
vehicle."
(KW)
REPEAT OFFENDERS
WON'T BE FINED MORE -
THEYLL CONTINUOUSLY
GET THE SAME FINE.
NEW AT 6 - FIND OUT HOW
THE STATE WILL THROW
OUT YOUR FIRST OFFENSE
- IF YOU GET CAUGHT ON
YOUR PHONE.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, IM
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
SPOKESPERSON TOLD ME
OFFICIALS CAN NOT COMMENT
FREE LAW GOES INTO
EFFECT IN LESS THAN A
MONTH --- AND STATE
POLICE WANT TO MAKE
SURE DRIVERS KNOW
ABOUT IT.
TODAY STATE POLICE
SUPERINTENDENT
COLONEL ANN ASSUMPICO
TOOK PART IN A NEWS
CONFERENCE ABOUT THE
NEW LAW.
THEY ALSO
DEMONSTRATED WHAT
DRIVERS CAN DO, TO
MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT
BREAKING THE LAW.
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
TELLS US ABOUT IT, LIVE
FROM PROVIDENCE.
YOU HAVE JUST ABOUT
THREE WEEKS TO
PREPARE TO GO HANDS
FREE WITH TECHNOLOGY
WHILE DRIVING.
TODAY - WE GOT A
DEMONSTRATION ON HOW
YOU CAN STILL USE
PHONE IN THE CAR - AND
WHAT IT WILL MEAN IF YOU
DONT COMPLY.
"If you've been in the habit of
actually having the cell phone
in
your hand and utilizing it, it's
hard to
get out of that habit, but you
need
to."
EVEN MORE SO NOW THAT IT
WILL BECOME THE LAW -
STARTING JUNE 1st.
"It's one more tool to fight
death by
distraction."
DRIVING WITH A PHONE IN
YOUR HAND WILL BE
CONSIDERED A PRIMARY
OFFENSE -
REASON ALONE TO GET PULLED
OVER - AND PUNISHABLE WITH
A 100 DOLLAR FINE.
BUT THAT CAN BE WAIVED - THE
FIRST TIME.
"All you have to do is get a
hands
free device and just show that
and
they don't have to pay the
fine."
AT A NEWS CONFERENCE
HOSTED BY TRIPLE A AND
RIDOT WEDNESDAY MORNING -
EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUND
OUT HOW YOU CAN STILL
SAFELY AND LEGALLY USE
YOUR PHONE WHILE DRIVING.
IN AN OLDER CAR:
"Something as simple as a wired
headset can work. Something a
little
more sophisticated, a Bluetooth
headset like this, that you just
attach
to your phone and you can see
that
we're getting a test call from
another
car, or the other simple thing
is you
can just mount your phone on a
holder like this."
AND IN A NEWER CAR:
"The Bluetooth system. So you
can
initiate or accept a phone call
right
from the steering wheel."
RIDOT SAYS THE SAFEST
PRACTICE IS OF COURSE
NOT COMMUNICATING
THROUGH YOUR PHONE
WHILE DRIVING AT ALL.
LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, IM
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
(MM)