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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:20 p.m., Thursday, March 5, 2009

Honolulu City Council advances bill to ban electronic devices while driving

Advertiser Staff

The City Council advanced a bill today that would ban the use of handheld electronic devices such as cell phones while driving.

Under the proposed law it would be illegal to hold a cell phone, music player, video game or any other mobile electronic device while driving.

Cell phone use would be allowed if the driver was using a hands-free device.

The electronic device ban follows the recent failure of a bill that would have banned video game playing and texting while driving.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann vetoed that bill on concerns such a ban would be unenforceable. The current bill would fix that problem, according to Honolulu police.

"It's very practicable and enforceable," said Maj. Thomas Nitta, head of the Honolulu Police Department's traffic division.