Posted on: Thursday, February 3, 2005
Panel OKs bill to limit drivers' cell phone use
By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
Hawai'i is once again considering whether to ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones.
Drivers still would be able to talk on their cell phones through hands-free headsets and exceptions would be made for medical or safety emergencies. But drivers who ignore the ban could be fined and, if they are so distracted they cause an accident, face 30 days in jail.
New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia have similar bans, but Hawai'i lawmakers have so far stopped short of a prohibition.
This session might be different. The House Transportation Committee approved a ban yesterday, and the chairwoman of the Senate Transportation and Government Operations Committee said she also intends to move it forward.
"When they're on the phone, it's a distraction," said Beatrice Tomihama, a Mililani retiree, who supports a ban. "They don't drive straight. They don't drive safe."
Sprint, which offers wireless service, said in testimony yesterday that a ban would unfairly discriminate against responsible cell phone users and ignores other driver distractions, such as smoking, eating, reading maps or changing radio stations.
Cingular Wireless recommended more public education and noted that police can use existing reckless driving laws against drivers who are being unsafe because they are on cell phones.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Governors Highway Safety Association have cited a lack of data on the relationship between cell phone use and accidents as a reason not to adopt bans. The governors association also has warned that the use of hands-free devices may give drivers a false sense of safety and also could cause distractions.
Rep. Joe Souki, D-8th (Wailuku, Waiehu), the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said talking on a cell phone while driving is as potentially dangerous as drunken driving.
Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
