A public hearing will be held to discuss the possibility of the City of Abilene adopting an ordinance that would ban texting and other wireless activities while driving within city limits.
City Council voted on the issue Thursday morning and decided to move forward with a public hearing on June 23, 2016.
Actions like talking on the phone and using navigation systems would still be permitted under the new ordinance, but texting, IMing, e-mailing, social media usage, and more could be prohibited.
Certain people, like emergency personnel and law enforcement members, as well as those employeed by the FCC and utility companies, will be exempt from the wireless communication restrictions if their actions fall under the scope of their employment.
There are also certain actions, like communicating with emergency officials and using the phone in a hands-free mode, that are defendable even if they break the outlined prohibitions.
A presentation from Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge claims the, “penalty is not a moving violation and may not be made a part of a person’s driving record. Punishable by fine of up to $500”
This distracted driving ordinance is being proposed as an effort to curb dangerous behavior that causes hundreds of crashes in Abilene each year.
An outline of the proposal on the City’s website says, “In 2015, 284 crashes occurred in Abilene due to distracted driving. One of those crashes resulted in a fatality. Another 101 crashes resulted in injuries.”
(Information from BigCountryHomepage.com)
