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Lawmakers are looking to crack down on drivers using cell phones. Three legislators plan to introduce legislation dealing with the issue.
"We're kind of fed up with the drivers that just aren't paying attention. They're getting into wrecks and they're killing people," said Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton.
He tells KSL his proposal would ban all texting while driving and restrict drivers talking on phones in school zones and parking lots.
"If you take a walk through a parking lot and you watch these drivers, they're speeding through the parking lot, or just driving through, and they're not paying attention because they're talking on their phone," he said.
Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake City, wants an all-out ban except for emergencies and public safety personnel. He's introducing a bill, HB0095, that would make talking, text-messaging or e-mailing while driving a class C misdemeanor that could result in jail time.
Perhaps the least prohibitive suggestion is from Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay. She proposes restricting cell use in the car to hands-free devices.
The 2009 legislative session begins Jan. 26. Lawmakers believe something will get done for that session, but it's unclear how far the law will go. Ray says an all-out ban is unlikely.
California, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C., have varying laws restricting cell phone use.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
