Professional Documents
Culture Documents
driving
several years ago during his daily commute to work on his bicycle.
“Drivers would swerve and cut me off and I could see through their windshield
that they were texting,” Johnson, a local golf teacher and environmental consultant said.
On Jan. 2, 2010, Johnson’s plea will finally become reality making Austin the
first city in Texas that bans drivers from texting while driving, according to AAA data.
The new law, unanimously passed by the Austin City Council on Thursday, Oct.
The ordinance bans drivers form sending, receiving or viewing text messages
from their cell phone or any other wireless communication device while driving. Drivers
still can send messages while their vehicle is stopped, place phone calls, use navigation
systems and use wireless communication devices that are permanently installed in their
car.
Initially set to go into effect on Nov. 2, the council voted to delay implementation
until Jan. 2, to give the city more time to educate the public and hear concerns about the
ordinance.
Johnson said he is concerned with the absence of public outreach programs
regarding cell phone use while driving and believes education on the issue is lacking.
AAA fully supports the ordinance and publically called for a nation-wide ban by
“It’s a state issue and the states have to make the decision,” Ronan said. “So that’s
exactly what we’re going to do. We’re going to lobby to all 50 states until we get a
nation-wide ban.”
Ronan said there are currently 18 states that have laws that address text messaging
AAA studies found younger drivers take their eyes off the road up to 400 percent
more often when text messaging. Also, roughly one-fifth of U.S. drivers admitted to
texting while driving at least once in the last 30 days, according to another AAA study.
An all-out ban of cell phone use while driving is not on the near-term radar for the
Austin City Council, but members are concerned with any distraction that takes drivers’
eyes off the road, Louis Less, Councilman Chris Riley’s chief of staff, said. He said
However, only one meeting has been held and no future meetings have been
scheduled.
Local software and computer consultant Chip Rosenthal attended the sub-
committee meeting Wed. Oct. 28, but said city officials gave no real answers to the
“Under the way the law is written right now, changing songs on my cell phone
using Pandora live-streaming Internet radio would be against the ordinance,” Rosenthal
said.
He said he believes the law’s language is too broad and expands beyond texting to
“If the city is going to spend that much time and effort to develop a policy, then
the city should be clearer on what drivers can and cannot do,” Rosenthal said. “How can
people obey the law if they don’t know exactly what the law is?”
Austin Police Department Highway Enforcement Lt. Craig Cannon doesn’t think
the interpretation or enforcement of this ordinance will be any different from any other
“If we see you driving recklessly with your head down in your lap or you’re
playing with phone in clear view, it’s not going to be difficult for us to determine that
your were texting,” Cannon said. “We want people to devote their full attention to
driving.”
than it will be for policemen in squad cars because of the vantage point and
maneuverability of motorcycles. He said Texas law does not have primary and secondary
offenses and officers can pull over drivers if they have reason to believe the drivers are
texting. If there is debate, then it will be handled in court just like any other law, he said.
“I just hope that the point will get across that we’re serious about this,” Cannon
said. “Whatever you have to tell your friend, it can wait. It’s not that critical.”