DWT?
December 7, 2009
Unlike the headline on the city web site, the Las Cruces City Council did not “pass cell phone ban while driving,” but it did so while seated on the dais — outlawing voice, text and e-mail use by those who are driving within city limits, starting Feb. 5, 2010.
Then council was unanimous in approving the law change, considered to be the first major action by the newly constituted group that includes Gill Sorg and Olga Pedroza.
There are exceptions for hands-free cell-phone use and also for emergency vehicles and emergency calls, so the new policy is reasonable and not unduly restrictive. Driving around Las Cruces, we have seen a steadily increasing number of people with at least one hand cradling the device of choice and their driving patterns showing signs of distraction, like drifting from lane to lane and unpredictable changes in speed. More frightening yet is the sight of a young driver with both hands on top of the steering wheel, thumbs twirling furiously in the process of texting while cruising down the street.
As usage plans encourage ever-increasing cell-phone activity, things really have gotten out of hand — figuratively, that is. Las Cruces lags behind Albuquerque and Santa Fe and numerous other cities in adopting the ban, but the current council was determined to remedy that disparity, so kudos to councilors Silva, Small, Thomas, Connor, Pedroza and Sorg, and Mayor Miyagishima for putting citizen safety ahead of social trends and the temptations of technology.
As smart phones quickly morph into hand-held computers, complete with games and video capabilities, the temptations to multitask while driving will only continue to increase. The time to break these habits is now!
–Steve Klinger
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