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08-23-06, 10:22 AM
Tuesday, a new law in Dekalb County (Atlanta area county) took effect allowing fines of up to $500 for drivers who crash while using a cell phone.
See article--
Wrecks by phone draw fines in DeKalb
By TY TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/23/06
Drivers who cause a wreck while yakking on a cellphone will face a fine of up to $500 under a law that took effect Tuesday in DeKalb County.
The law, likely the first of its kind in Georgia, sanctions drivers whose "improper" usage of a mobile phone was a "contributing factor" in a collision causing death, injury or damage.
Mahisha Patel, 23, chatting while safely parked in Decatur, said DeKalb is right to fine drivers who cause accidents while talking on cellphones.
DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones said the county can't ban cellphone use by drivers, but it can punish those whose careless yakking causes crashes.
It has the potential to change the way tens of thousands of drivers go about their business, even if they're simply passing through on the interstates and state highways that cross the county line.
County officials said the law applies in unincorporated DeKalb, not its cities. About 80 percent of the county is unincorporated.
The Board of Commissioners had been mulling a $100 fine proposed by county Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones, but they upped the ante when they approved the higher maximum fine Tuesday.
Other Georgia communities, including Atlanta, have considered similar laws on talking and driving, but it appears that none actually has passed, said Jim Shuler, a spokesman for the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
"We cannot find anything like this in the state of Georgia," he said.
Jones said he proposed the legislation after driving past a wreck several months ago in which cellphone use reportedly played a role. He said he also talked to a county traffic court judge who told him cellphones were a factor in as many as 700 collisions in a year.
"It's becoming more and more of a problem," Jones said. He said the law does not target drivers who use headsets or hands-free devices.
Jones said he preferred a fine in DeKalb to an outright ban because it would be inappropriate to expect drivers to watch for the county line sign while carrying on a conversation. He said if there were to be a ban, it should be statewide. A state ban has been proposed in the Georgia Legislature but has never gone far.
Three states — New York, followed by New Jersey and Connecticut — and cities such as Washington and Chicago have banned the use of handheld phones while driving.
Shuler said no study has shown definitively that handheld cellphones are more dangerous than headsets or speakerphones.
What the industry says
A spokesman for the wireless industry said drivers face more serious distractions than talking on a phone. A recent federal study found that drowsiness and objects moving around in a car were more of a risk than talking on a phone, said John Walls, a spokesman for CTIA-The Wireless Association. He said dialing a phone while driving is also more dangerous than talking on one.
"Any legislation that is aimed at one specific behavior doesn't put the whole issue of distracted driving in the proper light," Walls said. "We were the most common distraction, but we were not the most dangerous distraction."
Still, reaction to DeKalb's legislation was favorable during Tuesday's rush hour.
"I think that's a good idea because there're a lot of wrecks while talking on a cellphone," said Mahisha Patel, 23, who was talking on her phone while parked in downtown Decatur. She said she usually uses her speakerphone while driving.
Caroline Wood, who drove into the parking lot while talking on her cellphone, also didn't have a problem with the law. "I think it's probably a good rule," said Wood, 43, adding, "I shouldn't do it."
One metro Atlanta cellphone provider wasn't bothered by the news, either. "We have no problem with that," said Michael Johnson, a vice president with MetroPCS. He said the company offers a free headset with every phone sold.
A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Cingular said she couldn't comment on DeKalb's legislation before reading it. She said her company also promotes safe use of phones.
The vote on the legislation was 5-1, with one commissioner absent.
Elaine Boyer could not be reached to explain her "no" vote.
Commissioner Kathie Gannon said she supported the ordinance because drivers who talk into a handheld phone are dangerous, cutting across lanes and speeding up or slowing down unexpectedly. She admitted that she herself had used a handheld phone while driving.
Jones said he doesn't expect a backlash, "because everybody has a cellphone, and they know one time or another they could have caused an accident."
See article--
Wrecks by phone draw fines in DeKalb
By TY TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/23/06
Drivers who cause a wreck while yakking on a cellphone will face a fine of up to $500 under a law that took effect Tuesday in DeKalb County.
The law, likely the first of its kind in Georgia, sanctions drivers whose "improper" usage of a mobile phone was a "contributing factor" in a collision causing death, injury or damage.
Mahisha Patel, 23, chatting while safely parked in Decatur, said DeKalb is right to fine drivers who cause accidents while talking on cellphones.
DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones said the county can't ban cellphone use by drivers, but it can punish those whose careless yakking causes crashes.
It has the potential to change the way tens of thousands of drivers go about their business, even if they're simply passing through on the interstates and state highways that cross the county line.
County officials said the law applies in unincorporated DeKalb, not its cities. About 80 percent of the county is unincorporated.
The Board of Commissioners had been mulling a $100 fine proposed by county Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones, but they upped the ante when they approved the higher maximum fine Tuesday.
Other Georgia communities, including Atlanta, have considered similar laws on talking and driving, but it appears that none actually has passed, said Jim Shuler, a spokesman for the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
"We cannot find anything like this in the state of Georgia," he said.
Jones said he proposed the legislation after driving past a wreck several months ago in which cellphone use reportedly played a role. He said he also talked to a county traffic court judge who told him cellphones were a factor in as many as 700 collisions in a year.
"It's becoming more and more of a problem," Jones said. He said the law does not target drivers who use headsets or hands-free devices.
Jones said he preferred a fine in DeKalb to an outright ban because it would be inappropriate to expect drivers to watch for the county line sign while carrying on a conversation. He said if there were to be a ban, it should be statewide. A state ban has been proposed in the Georgia Legislature but has never gone far.
Three states — New York, followed by New Jersey and Connecticut — and cities such as Washington and Chicago have banned the use of handheld phones while driving.
Shuler said no study has shown definitively that handheld cellphones are more dangerous than headsets or speakerphones.
What the industry says
A spokesman for the wireless industry said drivers face more serious distractions than talking on a phone. A recent federal study found that drowsiness and objects moving around in a car were more of a risk than talking on a phone, said John Walls, a spokesman for CTIA-The Wireless Association. He said dialing a phone while driving is also more dangerous than talking on one.
"Any legislation that is aimed at one specific behavior doesn't put the whole issue of distracted driving in the proper light," Walls said. "We were the most common distraction, but we were not the most dangerous distraction."
Still, reaction to DeKalb's legislation was favorable during Tuesday's rush hour.
"I think that's a good idea because there're a lot of wrecks while talking on a cellphone," said Mahisha Patel, 23, who was talking on her phone while parked in downtown Decatur. She said she usually uses her speakerphone while driving.
Caroline Wood, who drove into the parking lot while talking on her cellphone, also didn't have a problem with the law. "I think it's probably a good rule," said Wood, 43, adding, "I shouldn't do it."
One metro Atlanta cellphone provider wasn't bothered by the news, either. "We have no problem with that," said Michael Johnson, a vice president with MetroPCS. He said the company offers a free headset with every phone sold.
A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Cingular said she couldn't comment on DeKalb's legislation before reading it. She said her company also promotes safe use of phones.
The vote on the legislation was 5-1, with one commissioner absent.
Elaine Boyer could not be reached to explain her "no" vote.
Commissioner Kathie Gannon said she supported the ordinance because drivers who talk into a handheld phone are dangerous, cutting across lanes and speeding up or slowing down unexpectedly. She admitted that she herself had used a handheld phone while driving.
Jones said he doesn't expect a backlash, "because everybody has a cellphone, and they know one time or another they could have caused an accident."