Text messaging while behind the wheel will no longer be permitted in Idaho as of July 1. Gov. Butch Otter signed the Legislature's distracted driving measure April 5. The distracted driving law will receive primary enforcement -- police can stop and cite offenders for that reason alone -- but offenses are not moving violations. Also, there are no points assessed against the driver's license. The fine for texting & driving in Idaho will be $85. Idaho became the 37th state to outlaw text messaging while driving, following West Virginia by only two days. West Virginia also banned use of … [Read more...]
Chapel Hill: Total cell phone ban
March 27, 2012 by 6 Comments
The nation's first blanket ban on cell phone use while driving has been approved by Chapel Hill, N.C. Drivers will be barred from all cell phone conversations, including those conducted via hands-free and voice-activated accessories. The law takes effect June 1 and the fine is $25. The town provided "some real leadership" on the distracted driving issue, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said in response. The Chapel Hill law isn't as groundbreaking as it may appear, however. The new law presents two significant loopholes for those who can't go without driving and … [Read more...]
West Va. bans texting, cell phones
March 10, 2012 by 6 Comments
"I want West Virginians to remain free from distracted drivers," Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin told lawmakers back in January. They listened. The governor's advocacy proved to be the key to breaking the state's long deadlock over distracted driving, with the Legislature approving his plan to outlaw text messaging and the use of handheld cell phones for those operating motor vehicles. (Update: Tombin signed the West Virginia distracted driving legislation into law on April 3. This article originally posted March 10, 2012.) As time expired on the legislative session late March 10, the House and … [Read more...]
OTS: Calif. cell phone deaths falling
March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
California fatalities linked to handheld cell phone use fell by almost half following enactment of the state's ban on use of the wireless devices while driving, a new study indicates. In the two years following the July 2008 adoption of the distracted driving law, handheld cell phone driver deaths decreased 47 percent, the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) at the University of California, Berkeley, found. Similar reductions occurred in the number of injuries, as well as deaths associated with cell phone use with hands-free accessories, SafeTREC said. Overall, … [Read more...]
DOT ‘guidelines’ for auto tech
February 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
The Information Super Highway and real highways aren't a good mix, federal regulators say. The Department of Transportation has issued "proposed voluntary guidelines" for automakers who offer digital entertainment and information systems on their vehicles' dashboards. The electronic distraction guidelines include a call to automakers to block text messaging, Internet browsing and social-media use while the vehicle is not stopped and parked. There is also a 2-second limit on driver activity that requires taking their eyes off the road. Drivers would not be able to manually enter the standard … [Read more...]
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