Delaware and Maryland joined the growing list of states in the past year banning cell phones while driving. Representative Carolyn McCarthy, a New York Democrat, has now proposed banning the use of hand held mobile devices while driving at the national level.
The bill, H.R. 2333: Safe Drivers Act of 2011 has the stated purpose of "To enhance safety of individuals by banning the use of hand-held mobile devices while driving, and for other purposes." The bill has been referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
Some details on the Safe Drivers Act of 2011 from the Website of Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy
"...it directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish minimum regulations that ban the use of hand-held mobile devices on a public road while operating a moving or idling motor vehicle, except in the case of an emergency."
"The penalty for not complying with the DOT’s minimum standards within two years of enactment would be a withholding of 25 percent of a state’s federal highway transportation funding."
So far there has been very little coverage of the bill, H.R. 2333, and virtually no mention of it other than a press release by Verizon in support of the proposed law. Perhaps law makers do not see a federal law on the topic a priority with talking on a hand held cellphone while driving already banned in 10 states and text messaging banned for drivers in 34 states.
Drivers in our area would not be impacted by the federal law as Delaware's cell phone law went into effect January 2, 2011, and as of October 1, 2010 it was illegal in Maryland to talk on your cell phone while driving.
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