Cleveland has become the latest big city to prohibit text messaging by drivers. Meanwhile, Albany County, N.Y., has prohibited texting behind the wheel. Both bans come in reaction to a perceived lack of action at the state level. Cleveland's City Council also called on Ohio's lawmakers to adopt a similar ban on driving and texting. The lead legislator on the Albany plan, Christopher Higgins, called texting while driving "an epidemic in this country." The Cleveland ban takes effect 90 days after the (supportive) mayor signs the legislation. Fines range from $150-$500. The Albany County ban … [Read more...]

Cities and counties around the nation are scrambling to adopt bans on text messaging, tired of waiting for state legislatures to act on what is almost universally perceived as a highway menace. (Post updated for correction; original post from March 27, 2009) In one New York county, a local legislator said simply: "The state is not acting fast enough." New York’s swarm of local traffic legislation against text messaging and use of handheld phones usually is credited to a similar lack of urgency in Albany. A Philadelphia ban on use of handheld cell phones while driving is near enactment. A … [Read more...]