Massachusetts DUI Attorney Blog

Several proposed new laws in Massachusetts would crack down on distracted drivers and older drivers and further criminalize some types of Massachusetts car accidents. Legislation prohibiting distracted driving is becoming increasingly common throughout the country.

A Boston criminal defense attorney experienced in handling Massachusetts traffic charges should be called anytime someone is charged as a result of a car accident. Like Boston drunk driving charges, criminal charges stemming from a car accident can have serious consequences.

Last week, the House approved a bill that would outlaw cell phones, except hands-free models with voice activated dialing. Massachusetts is considering the law in the wake of the passage of stiff new measures in a number of other states, including New York and Illinois.

"It is impossible to be dialing a phone and watching the road at the same time," the bill's sponsor, Rep. Jay R. Kaufman, D-Lexington, told the Brockton Enterprise.

The cell phone ban was attached to a larger proposed law that would crack down on distracted drivers and toughen oversight of older drivers. The measure now heads to the Senate, where it must pass before it would become law.

The measure also prohibits text messaging, e-mailing or web surfing while driving and would prohibit all use of cell phones by drivers under 18, as well as bus and train drivers.

The legislation targeting older drivers would require vision tests for drivers over the age of 75 and grant legal immunity to doctors who report their patients are not competent to drive, the Boston Globe reported.

Proponents of cracking down on older drivers contend the proposed rules do not go far enough, while opponents, including the AARP and the American Automobile Association, contend it is not fair to single out the elderly.