The City of Honolulu's long debate over drivers' use of handheld electronic devices finally has reached an end. Mayor Mufi Hannemann signed Bill 4 into law on May 7. Prohibited devices include handheld cell phones, text messaging devices, PDAs, laptop computers and video game machines. In February, the Honolulu mayor vetoed an earlier plan to ban text messaging while driving after police complained they had no way of telling what a driver was doing while holding a cell phone. Honolulu's police have resisted all previous efforts to control drivers' use of wireless devices, citing … [Read more...]
Bowling Green voters strike cell law
May 5, 2009 by Leave a Comment
(Originally posted May 2009) The voters of Bowling Green, Ohio, have spoken on mobile phones and driving -- kind of. The city of about 30,000 decided to put to voters the issue of whether to ban handheld cell phone use by motorists. On Tuesday, 56 percent voted no, killing the plan. “Fifty six percent of people aren’t against a ban, they are just against a local ban,” the legislation's sponsor, Robert McOmber said. But there's more. Turns out the ballot didn't actually state what a vote either way would accomplish. Here's the ballot text: "An ordinance proposing to create and adopt … [Read more...]
N.Y. regional text messaging legislation
May 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
N.Y. regional text messaging news: About 24,000 tickets for texting were issued in New York City in 2013, as of mid-October, DMV numbers show. Counties with a large number of citations include Erie (1,568), Suffolk (1,716), Monroe (1,559) and Nassau (1,121). The state of New York has upgraded its enforcement of the texting while driving law to primary status. At the same time, the governor ordered the DMV to add a fifth point against the licenses of distracted drivers. Prior to the get-tough moves in Albany, counties in New York state had been quite active in setting up regional laws … [Read more...]
Colorado GOP guts cell phone legislation
May 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
Colorado Republicans put the knife in a hands-free cell phone ban on Monday, reportedly after a long bashing of Sen. Bob Bacon's bill. The Senate did pass an amended HB 1094 with a ban on text messaging and a prohibition of cell phone use by drivers under 18. (Update: The watered-down legislation was signed by Gov. Bill Ritter on June 1, 2009.) The Colorado Spring Gazette had this choice quote from Sen. Keith King, R-Colorado Springs, who wondered why the "ridiculous" bill only banned handheld cell phones while the vehicle was in motion: "At every stoplight, watch from now on, if we pass … [Read more...]
Cell phone crash makes Philly mayor’s point
May 1, 2009 by 1 Comment
Almost on cue, a Philadelphia motorist with her mouth in gear slammed into a bus and dramatized the need for the city's brand-new ban on handheld cell phones. On the same day that Philadelphia's mayor signed the law, the cell-phoning woman caused a city bus to plow into several parked cars and a transport support beam, police say. Sixteen people, including a young child, were injured. The driver ran a red light while gabbing on her cell phone, police reported. Mayor Mike Nutter told the Daily News it was "a perfect example why we needed the law that I signed. When you're distracted holding … [Read more...]
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