McAllen bans texting while driving
McALLEN — City leaders banned texting while driving Monday night, unanimously passing the ordinance after little discussion.
The new law forbids the sending or reading of text messages while driving, and also outlaws browsing the web from behind the wheel. Talking on the phone is still legal.
“I’m concerned about the 8,000 accidents we have every year in our city,” said City Commissioner Jim Darling, who introduced the proposal in December, before it was tabled for further review and input.
All commissioners present voted for the ordinance. Mayor Richard Cortez said he would have preferred to wait for the state Legislature to take action — at least 10 bills on the topic have been filed during the current session, according to city research — but would follow the commission’s wishes.
Police Chief Victor Rodriguez backed the ordinance, which officers will enforce with a traffic citation when necessary. The maximum fine for most municipal court traffic violations is $200.
“It allows us to seize the message, instead of leaving it out there that, ‘It’s not illegal, so it must be OK,’” Rodriguez said. He met with MCN 12, the city’s cable network, on Tuesday to discuss public service announcements.
It’s not clear how officers would differentiate between people dialing a cell phone, which remains legal, and people sending a text message. Rodriguez said phone records could be subpoenaed to settle the matter in court.
Texas already forbids drivers from using hand-held phones in school zones. State law also forbids school bus drivers and new drivers from texting or making telephone calls while driving, even with a hands-free device.
For several years, the U.S. Department of Transportation and federal officials have campaigned against “distracted driving,” which includes texting and other activities that cause drivers to take their eyes off the road. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood labeled the phenomenon a “deadly epidemic,” warning 5,500 people were killed and 500,000 more injured during 2009 as a result of distracted driving.
A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg, Va., found drivers of heavy vehicles and trucks were 23.2 times more likely to experience a crash or “near crash event” while texting. The results, published in 2009, prompted the institute to recommend “texting should be banned in moving vehicles for all drivers.”
Amid the push for restrictions, 30 states have banned texting while driving in recent years, and eight have outlawed the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, according to the Transportation Department’s website.
McAllen’s new law goes further. It prohibits sending or reading text or instant messages, viewing or accessing Internet sites and “viewing or accessing other data that uses commonly recognized communications protocol” while driving. Use of any e-reader, such as a Kindle or iPad, also breaks the law.
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Dave Hendricks covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4452.
