Proposed bill could ticket NJ drivers for eating, drinking coffee

NEW JERSEY (WTXF) Some lawmakers in New Jersey have proposed a bill that would have police in the Garden State cracking down even harder on distracted drivers.

And that means some big fines for something as simple as eating while you're behind the wheel. However, not everybody's on board with the proposed bill.

FOX 29's Bill Anderson explains why.

New Jersey has been involved in a constant battle to crackdown on distracted driving. Texting or talking on cell phones while driving is already illegal but some legislators believe that's not enough.

Penalties would be up to $400 for a first offense and a license suspension for multiple offenses.  That may seem a little severe but perhaps not when you consider the consequences of distracted driving.

As expected the response from New Jersey drivers was mixed and passionate.

Similar bills introduced in the past have failed mostly because the elected officials couldn't agree on how severe they should be. And talking to New Jersey drivers, that may be an issue this time as well.

The assemblyman says several headlines are misleading saying drinking a cup of coffee behind the wheel or eating would be punishable offensives. He says the hope is to get people to pay attention and hopefully save lives.