Cellphone ban news is out

http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2012-09-19/ordinance-could-be-difficult-enforce

I totally understand law enforcement’s reluctance over Amarillo’s recently approved ordinance banning the use of handheld cellphones while driving motor vehicles in the city.

The cops say it will be a difficult law to enforce. Motorists have perfected pretty sneaky ways of dialing up their pals while driving their car. Still, the city did what it had to do. Only a handful of states have even a partial ban on cellphone use while driving; fewer still have enacted total bans.

Thus, the city enacted a local ordinance because city commissioners determined that the activity poses a hazard to motorists and pedestrians (and that includes children).

But the word is out and is spreading quickly throughout the city. Commissioners have acted and motorists need to be aware of the law when it takes effect in the next couple of months. Moreover, it wouldn’t hurt for residents to alert out-of-town friends and kin about the new rule so they can avoid getting busted when they enter the city.

Then again, the city needs to ensure that it posts adequate signage along every major highway entering Amarillo to alert motorists that they are entering a “Handheld Cellphone-Free Zone.”