Committee debates bill to ban cell phone use while driving

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, May 12, 2011 | 8:11 p.m.

CARSON CITY — While law enforcement supports a bill banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, some Assembly members questioned how it is any more distracting than, say, eating a hamburger behind the wheel.

Assemblyman Scott Hammond, R-Las Vegas, raised the question.

And Frank Adams, representing the Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Association, answered it. He said talking on a cell phone disrupts the cognitive ability of drivers as opposed to eating.

A.J. Delap of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told the Assembly Transportation Committee that drunk driving and using a cell phone while driving were “very similar.”

Delap said he was more concerned about his family being in a traffic accident than having a crime committed against them.

Traci Pearl of the state Office of Traffic Safety presented data showing the number of accidents caused by inattentive driving has decreased in Nevada from 2008 to 2009.

In 2008, there were 1,265 injury accidents and 15 fatalities attributed to inattentive driving. In 2009, there were 1,202 injuries and 10 deaths.

Assemblywoman Dina Neal, D-North Las Vegas, said she wanted figures on how many accidents was actually caused by a motorists on cell phones.

The committee, which did not take action SB 140, also heard testimony from witnesses whose relatives have been injured or killed by motorists on cell phones.

Hammond said a bill prohibiting cell phone use while driving in Washington prompted motorists to go “underground.” Drivers put the cell phone by their legs, which could cause even more accidents, he said.

But the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Shirley Breeden, D-Henderson, said there is “an epidemic” of cell-phone use on highways now. The bill, she said, is about keeping the hands of the driver free.

Under the bill, drivers would still be able to use hands-free devices.

The bill would allow an officer to pull over a motorist using a cell phone and give him a citation. The first offense would be a fine of $50 and would not go on a person’s driving record. A second offense would carry a $100 fine and the third offense a $250 fine.

There are exemptions for police, medical personnel and licensed amateur radio operators responding to an emergency.

Truck drivers and taxicab drivers would still be allowed to communicate with their dispatchers. And looking to the future, motorists could use their cell phones if their car drives itself.

If approved by the Legislature, the bill would take effect July 1, but officers would only be able to warn motorists caught using cell phones until Jan. 1, 2012. After that, they could issue tickets.