Philly Committee: Ban Handheld Cell Phone Use for Drivers

A City Council committee has approved a proposal that would ban the use of cell phones while driving in Philadelphia.

If the ban is passed by the full council _ possibly as early as next week _ dialing, texting or e-mailing would be off-limits to motorists within city limits. Handsfree devices would be allowed.

The measure would also prohibit the use of cell phones by bicyclists, inline skaters and people on scooters or skateboards.

Fines would range from $150 to $300.

A study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found cell phone use linked to 6 percent of all crashes.

According to the Automobile Association of America, five states and nearly a dozen U.S. municipalities ban the use of handheld phones while driving.

Latest Comments

• March 26, 2009 at 2:56 am

  Joan says:

  Philadelphia Police are not allowed to chase down off road vehicles which are not to be used on city streets. These off road vehicles drive very fast, go through stop signs, ... read more
• March 26, 2009 at 12:51 pm

  SFOInsuranceLady says:

  We've had this law for over a year....sure, it worked perhaps the first moth or two but after that, everyone "lost" the hands-free/blue-tooth and started cradling their phones... read more
• March 26, 2009 at 11:45 am

  Billy Dikant says:

  Fine them excessively like drunk drivers. MADD laws have proven to change behaviors. Not.