No Texting or Gaming While Driving in Honolulu

Honolulu City Council votes to ban texting while driving | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

Quote:

The City Council yesterday approved a bill banning the use of electronic devices to play games or send text messages while driving.
Advertisement

The bill has been harshly criticized as unenforceable. However, council members agreed the bill could serve as a first step toward imposing a more effective, comprehensive ban on the use of handheld devices such as mobile phones while driving.

Councilman Nestor Garcia acknowledged the bill's flaws but said it could still help save lives.

"Most citizens will abide by it so if we can prevent one accident, whether it be by texting or playing a video game, then the imperfect law on the books will have done its job," Garcia said.

Approved by a 7-1 margin, the bill would ban writing, sending or reading text-based communication while driving, including text messages, instant messages and e-mail. The council in 2002 tried to ban cell phone use while driving, and variations on that idea failed at the state Legislature in 2005 and 2007.

Councilman Rod Tam, the only member to vote against the ban, criticized the proposed ordinance as unenforceable. Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who can sign the bill into law or veto it, has expressed similar concerns.

"This is bad legislation — unenforceable — an embarrassing situation," Tam said.
Broader ban favored

Honolulu police also said a ban on texting and video game playing while driving would be difficult to enforce.

"We would be unable to determine what a person is doing as opposed from texting, as opposed from downloading, as opposed from utilizing the phone for communication purposes," said Maj. Thomas Nitta, head of the department's traffic division.

Nitta said a broader ban on cellular phone use while driving would be more enforceable.

Hawai'i and Alaska are the only states that do not prohibit the use of a cell phone while driving without a hands-free device, according to Honolulu police.

The bill, introduced by Councilman Charles Djou, was partly a response to the September suspension of a city bus driver who was caught on video playing a hand-held game.

"Although the bus driver received some administrative punishment, there was nothing wrong or illegal with that bus driver engaging in that activity," Djou said. "This Honolulu City Council needs to make a very clear statement that that sort of activity should not be allowed on our public roadways."

The only question I have is how good does your co-ordination have to be to actual play a video game or even text while your driving your vehicle. I thought driving while talking on your cell phone was dangerous enough. I don't even text, so I probably can't even begin to understand how people can do it and drive at the same time. Playing a video game sounds like the last thing you would want to do especially when your behind the wheel. I'll be completely honest I have played my DS while I was in the drivers seat, but it was during a 4 hour traffic jam.

I do agree with one of the councilors that it will be really hard to try to enforce a law like this. I think they should just of went with a broader ban on cellphones while driving. I know in Newfoundland and Labrador it is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone while driving. Fines can range from $45 to $180.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

How is it unenforceable? If a cop sees you sending or reading a text when you're driving they pull you over and fine you, rule enforced, job done. That's like saying a speed limit is unenforceable because you'll only ever get caught if a policeman sees you doing it. In fact, that applies to fucking hundreds of laws. Pissing in the street is illegal too and despite the pretty high odds of not getting caught red handed doing it, people still get fined and as such, fewer people piss in the streets these days.

That said, sending a text while driving is fucking easy. I'm sure many of you here can touch type right? Well a phone only has nine buttons so it's even easier. I can send a text without looking and I'm sure most people here who actually use a mobile phone can too. Reading one is where it gets dangerous but no more so than using a sat-nav in my opinion.

That said, a mate of mine did once question whether I was trying to do too many things at once as I was changing gear round a corner whilst tuning the radio with my phone under my chin and a fag hanging out of my mouth. Smoking, phoning, steering, changing gear and tuning a radio all at once and people say men can't multitask.

And before you ask, I had already turned into the corner before I went to change gear and was holding the wheel steady with my knees.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Unfortunately or fortunately the rest of humanity is not as blessed as you are, good living~

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Quote:

Hawai'i and Alaska are the only states that do not prohibit the use of a cell phone while driving without a hands-free device, according to Honolulu police.

I'd think it would be hard to enforce because the cop would have little to no proof that the person was texting vs. making a phone call (unless the person in the car is foolish enough to leave the screen on the text message itself, which I'm sure will happen at some point, along with 'scuse me officer, let me just finish this text and I'll be right with you').

It seems a little backwards to me that they'd make texting illegal before the use of a cell phone without a hands-free device. If both laws were in place, a cop sees a phone out in a driver's hand and that'd be all he'd need.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

This is a pretty reasonable law, I dunno what the controversy is.

Most amazing jew boots

The controversy is that people want to be able to play Crisis Core on the PSP while driving to grandma's luau without THE MAN all up in their grill, so they don't want any of this "law" malarkey getting in the way.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

There's nothing more meta than playing Gran Turismo while driving.

FELIPE NO

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Jam it back in, in the dark.