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Chapel Hill — Only one person signed up to speak during a public hearing Monday on a proposal to ban hand-held devices such as cell phones by people driving automobiles in Chapel Hill.
Joe Capowski told council that he fully supports efforts to eliminate distracted driving in Chapel Hill.
“Distracted driving is a national issue whose battle is just beginning,” Capowski said.
He lamented the use of the cell phones by student motorists and complained about automakers like Nissan, which he contends is planning to put an Internet screen in cars near the speedometer.
“This is way past an accident waiting to happen,” Capowski said.
He said he would prefer council also banned the use of hands-free devices as well as hand-held devices.
Council members directed staff to continue to research myriad questions about the legality of enacting such a ban and to investigate how states enforce cell phone bans.
Assistant Police Chief Bob Overton said enforcing a ban on held-hand devices would be easier than enforcing the new state law against texting while driving because it’s easier for officers to see motorists talking on a cell phone.
“A hand-held ban would obviously be easier to enforce,” Overton said. “It would be like stopping someone for not wearing a seatbelt.”
Some members wanted to slow the process and wait for a report from the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee on the “leading causes of driver inattention or distraction.”
The report, which was mandated when the General Assembly adopted the law banning texting, is due April 15. It is also expected to detail the risks posed by driver inattentions or distraction and offer methods that might be used to manage those distractions as well as provide recommendations for legislation.
Councilman Gene Pease, who favored slowing the process, said he worried that staff would have too much on their plates during the town’s budget process.
“I just question the rush of staff to do all of that work,” Pease said.
Councilman Ed Harrison said he lobbied for the texting ban, but doesn’t believe banning held-hand devices will work unless it’s a statewide ban.
Councilwoman Donna Bell said the community conversation about banning cell phone has made her change behavior while driving. She said she talks on her phone, talks to her baby in the back seat and eats while driving, but realizes now that her actions put others at risk.
“What this conversation has done is to cause me to be more aware of that,” Bell said.
The idea for a cell phone ban was first brought to the council by Councilwoman Penny Rich who said residents, citing safety concerns, urged her to take up the matter.
Since taking office in December, Rich said she spoken to and received e-mail from lots of town residents who asked her to lead a campaign to ban held-hand cell phones in town.
