While they're at it, please ban putting on makeup, eating, fiddling with the radio station and turning around yelling/talking to your kids in the backside while driving.

This is a useless law, and while I agree that people shouldn't text and drive, it should be a common sense thing, just like the other things I mentioned above. Unfortunately you can't pass laws against stupidity.

There is already a law that deals with problems like this. How about we enforce the laws already on the books and the city council can focus on balancing the budget and cutting the grass on city owned property.

Section 32-5A-190

Reckless driving.

(a) Any person who drives any vehicle carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard for the rights or safety of persons or property, or without due caution and circumspection and at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to endanger any person or property, shall be guilty of reckless driving.

(b) Every person convicted of reckless driving shall be punished upon a first conviction by imprisonment for a period of not less than five days nor more than 90 days, or by fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $500.00, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and on a second or subsequent conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 10 days nor more than six months, or by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $500.00, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and the court may prohibit the person so convicted from driving a motor vehicle on the public highways of this state for a period not exceeding six months, and the license of the person shall be suspended for such period by the Director of Public Safety pursuant to Section 32-5A-195.

(c) Neither reckless driving nor any other moving violation under this chapter is a lesser included offense under a charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

(Acts 1980, No. 80-434, p. 604, §9-101.)

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/32-5A-190.htm

Jesse, good blog but let's make it specific. Some people, judges, just can't get it.

There is a big difference between texting and other careless driving behaviors: texting bans can be enforced. The officer mentions that people could claim to be talking, but in the case of an accident cell phone records can be used to prove the driver was texting. However, why stop at a texting ban? Ban the use of cell phones. I am tired of having to watch for idiots driving with a phone stuck to their ear who think they are driving well while they are cutting in front of you, pulling out into traffic, and running red lights.

Every time I see a police car he/she is also on the phone?

Total cell phone ban is the only way. If you are dialing, you arte violating the law! Do this Decatur, total ban of cell phone use while driving in Decatur!

I agree, ban texting while driving. There has been way too many deaths caused from texting while driving.

JUst a few years ago a city man in his 8o's was jailed for nt mowing his property. Look out city.. we may file charges against you..

I recently was behind a vehicle on Highway 67 that was going about 35mph and swerving. I called DPD to report a drunk driver when we were right at the Country Club Rd intersection. No one ever came. I was finally able to get next to the person at the red light at Indian Hills Road. I had tried to go around him in the right lane a couple of times, but he kept swerving towards me. When I stopped next to him, he had his phone in his hands on the steering wheel texting. He didn't appear to be old enough to even be drinking alcohol. I am sure he was driving as he was because he was texting the whole way. He could have easily hit someone in oncoming traffic.

Just this morning, my spouse was driving into Decatur from Priceville and was behind a green Ford Taurus with a State vehicle tag, male driver. He texted continuously from Foodland until he reached 6th Avenue.

This is so dangerous. If anyone feels that texting and driving is OK, you should look up txtresponsibly.org or view the videos about texting and driving on YouTube.

I think Decatur would be very wise to pass this ordinance. I just hope they enforce it if they pass it.

Amen on the police officers always on the cell phones. And what about their typing on their computers while driving?

I totally agree that people should not text while driving but I also believe that the government should have better things to do with their time than ticket people for not having on a seatbelt,texting,etc.We as a nation seem to give up more rights to the government each year as far as invading people's privacy.Where does it stop?I ahve had friends stopped by police officers because they "thought"that they did not have their seatbelt on.If they pass this law,this same thing will continue to happen.I guess our elected government officials think that once they are elected to office that they know more than the average person.This country becomes more like George Orwell's classic 1984 everyday.

I think there is a little bit of difference between texting while driving and wearing a seatbelt. Texting while driving endangers everyone on the road near that person. It is comparable to drunk driving. There are people that have been killed because of others texting while driving. I would hate to know that I sent a text to someone about something very silly that could have waited a few minutes and briefly took my eyes off the road and hit someone and caused their death. It has happened and will continue to happen. I agree the government shouldn't intrude into everything, but this is truly a public safety issue. This is definitely a step in the right direction for Decatur.

It will be hard for them to prove without going to court and having the phone records look at. Think of all the money the court system would spend to prove that a person texted and wasn't dialing a number all that money for a $100 fine. There have been studies that show that hands free makes no difference compared to holding the phone, and talking on your phone is no different than talking to your passengers. I think the whole thing is a stupid was of time about the only thing it does is if you are in an accident and were texting you would get in more trouble. But it also gives cops an excuses for pulling you over........I thought you were texting....and like hell I will let him look at my phone to see he will have to wait for the courts and let the county waste money and resources to get a whole one hundred dollars out of me.

Please start enforcing the laws for stopping at a stop sign and running traffic lights. You could cut city taxes if you just enforced the traffic lights on the beltline.

My .02.