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I dont really see how you could get busted doing this and I can see the 3 foot rule being contested left and right.
Austin texting-while-driving moves ahead
City Council approves concept, but writing, enacting ordinance could takes months.
http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...28texting.html
By Sarah Coppola
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Austin City Council unanimously agreed Thursday to establish a ban on text messaging while driving and to require a three-foot driving distance between vehicles and other road users, such as bicyclists and pedestrians.
The rules won't take effect right away. First, city staffers will write an ordinance that the council must approve, a process that could take a few months.
Each violation would be a Class C misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $500 and can be appealed in Municipal Court.
A few council members and speakers expressed concerns at Thursday's council meeting that the policies would be tough for police to enforce. They also stressed that the texting ban must be coupled with a strong public education campaign to be effective.
"We see time and again that laws like this are not the best way to change people's behavior," said Debbie Russell of the Central Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. "If we're not dedicating any money for public education along with this, it will fail."
Council Member Mike Martinez, the lead proponent of the texting ban, said he would look carefully at those issues before the ordinance comes back to the council for a vote.
There might be some challenges with enforcement, he acknowledged. But he said the ban is worth enacting because studies have shown overwhelmingly that texting behind the wheel is dangerous and must be curtailed.
"You're 20 times more likely to get into an accident texting while you're driving," Martinez said. "While it may seem like common sense not to text while driving, it doesn't seem to resonate."
Council Member Bill Spelman asked whether the ban would apply to police officers, who have computers in their patrol cars.
Police Chief Art Acevedo said that the ban would most likely exempt officers but that he encourages officers to use the computers only while stopped at red lights.
The ban would prohibit writing, sending and reading text messages, instant messages and e-mails, as well as viewing the Internet on a cell phone or other portable electronic device while driving a vehicle or bicycling.
City officials said the texting ban might be the first such citywide ban in Texas. Currently, 17 states and the District of Columbia prohibit texting while driving.
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I dont really see how you could get busted doing this and I can see the 3 foot rule being contested left and right.
http://weareaustin.com/content/fulltext/?cid=48701
it's already in effect. According to them it's east to tell when someone is texting, but they can't look through your phone without a warrant i believe.
Why post an article from August? Went into effect Jan 1, they're supposedly writing tickets for DWIT since yesterday even though everyone says it's going to be very hard to actually catch anyone. Here's an article from the first of the year on the texting ban:
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas/...ut-157865.html
The three-foot law has kind of been under the radar - nobody's made an issue of it yet.
Didnt even look at the date just heard on the news this morning that it went into effect.
The three foot radius isn't going to prevent Austin bicyclists from acting like morons downtown, or idiot drivers from going 80 on 360 while a guy on a bicycle is right next to him. I've already seen both since yesterday. I'm suprised more auto/bike deaths don't happen more often in this city.
I don't text while I drive. But I do occasionally change the song on my iPod Touch, which I'm sure would look su iously like texting. Have to wonder if this will cause grief for people.
Same here but making a call or what not looks a lot like texting too. Guess I should program my blue tooth radio with the voice dialing so I dont have to mess with the phone.
I'm afraid they will pull me over for changing songs on my IPOD. I dont have a license. no. its shuffle for me from now on
I saw an article somewhere,this week, that the texting while driving laws dont affect any change. i'm already mul asking so i cant look
why dont they just make a the cell phones not usable while moving 20+ MPH
issue solved
yeah. I hated that. Freakin morons in huge groups trying to make their stupid statements.
So what really is this 3 foot thing? I realize it's a spacing thing but how are they going to tell who is close to who?
that. Most bicyclists are ing morons and never actually obey traffic laws like they are ing supposed to when on public roadways anyway.
There is talk of the same thing in San Antonio and what I want to know is-- will they enforce it AGAINST bicyclists, as well. If I am sitting stopped at a traffic light, then bicyclists can not weave through the stopped cars to get to the front because there is not 3 feet to pass.
...o require a three-foot driving distance between vehicles and other road users, such as bicyclists and pedestrians.
Last week there was a woman dressed all in black riding her bike at night against the traffic coming at me in my lane on a street with a 45 MPG speed limit.
Is looking at your GPS ok and if so how about GPS on an Iphone...the screens are about the same size
Lame.
If you catch me doing this, good luck proving it, APD.
No . Even if they are in the bike lane where they belong they are weaving all over the place. If you are in the lane next to the bike lane you can't possibly stay three feet away if a car is next to you on the other side. ing Austin City Council freaks.
it'll be next to impossible to enforce these ordinances.
pretty much the only way to be convicted will be after an accident occurs by a driver texting while driving, swerving into the bike lane, nailing the biker and having the cell phone fly out of the window with the cop picking it up and reading the text on the screen.
other than that, it's going to be mostly honor system.
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