Huckleberries Online

Sandpoint Defeats Hands-Free Rule

Posted by DFO

Dec. 18, 2009 2:27 p.m. • 7 comments

A proposed rule requiring motorists to use a hands-free device while driving and talking on their cell phones within the city limits was narrowly defeated Wednesday. The City Council knotted 3-3 on the proposed legislation and Mayor Gretchen Hellar cast the deciding vote against the measure. But that doesn’t mean unsafe drivers who are distracted by phone conversations are off the hook. Sandpoint Police Chief Mark Lockwood said existing inattentive or reckless driving statutes can be used to hold distracted drivers accountable. “I have a tool to deal with it,” said Lockwood, referring to existing laws/Keith Kinnaird, Bonner County Bee. More here.

Question: Good call?

Seven comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Cabbage Boy on December 18 at 2:40 p.m.
“I have a tool to deal with it,” said Lockwood, referring to existing laws

BRILLIANT. Use an existing law instead of writing another one?
moscow_minidoka on December 18 at 2:55 p.m.
Agreed, Cabbage. It would be nice if officers felt they could go after cell phone wielding menaces without their being explicit laws referring to cells. If you are looking down at your lap texting and crossing the center line, the cops should be able to drag you out of your car and charge you with reckless endangerment, as far as I’m concerned.
moscow_minidoka on December 18 at 2:56 p.m.
Grrr. Their = there. You can give HBOers a preview button, but that doesn’t mean they’ll actually check their work before finalizing it.
Arpie on December 18 at 3:02 p.m.
First the city beach charging and now this. Two dumb ideas shot down in one week. They’re doing better than the legislature has done in years.
moscow_minidoka on December 18 at 3:10 p.m.
What’s funny about the attempt to go hands-free is that every study shows that the problem with distracted drivers is that THEY’RE ON THE PHONE (PERIOD!), not that they’re holding a phone in the hand.

Talking on a cell phone - handset or headset - is like driving with your head firmly lodged in your large intestine. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a hands-free set.

Not to change the question, but can anybody tell me why police depts don’t go after distracted drivers with the laws that are currently on the books? Why aren’t they pulling over all the rotten drivers I see yakking on the phone who are completely oblivious to other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians?
Cabbage Boy on December 18 at 3:22 p.m.
MM, in my opinion it is probably more difficult to convict on that charge. That is probably the reason the go for the “more laws” approach. And fighting them in court cost money.

So to summarize, easy laws like seatbelts are easy money. Citations for actual dangerous driving like DUI and reckless endangerment cost court time and money, so they probably aren’t good income.

Sad, but sometimes I think it is revenue that drives the ISP and police when it should be about “protect and serve”.
Escapee on December 19 at 12:03 a.m.
It has been documented that hands-free cellphones are just as distracting as a hand-held. I know I’m not the only one who’s barely avoided a major collision with a phone-yakking driver. I suppose this law is a step in the right direction, but still…

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.