Sitting in Boston, the Massachusetts Senate passed a safe driving legislative package that bans texting while driving, requires elderly drivers to submit to license testing, and prohibits junior operators from both texting and talking on a cell phone while driving. The attorneys at the Law Office of Neil Burns have represented hundreds of plaintiffs injured as a result of unsafe driving.
The State Senate’s legislation makes texting a primary offense, which means a driver can be pulled over specifically for texting while driving. It also establishes a fine of up to $200, two years in jail, or both for anyone who causes an accident while texting and driving.
The bill also prohibits “junior operators,” or those under the age of 18, from both texting and talking on a cell phone while driving; and operators of public transit, including the Massachusetts Bus and Transit Authority and school buses – are prohibited from any use of cell phones, except in the case of an emergency.
The bill requires persons between the ages of 75 and 80 to submit once during those five years an assessment form to be developed jointly by the Registry of Motor Vehicles and its Medical Advisory Board. the form is to be filled out by the individual’s physician or health care provider. Based on that assessment, the Registrar would determine if the person can safely operate the vehicle.
After a person turns 80, the form must be filed every three years. Those who are denied their license can request a road test in an effort to demonstrate they have the skills necessary to keep their license and continue driving.