Last updated May 2, 2019
Chapel Hill in the United States is once again considering bringing a proposal to ban drivers from using new or old cell phones while operating a motor vehicle to the vote at the Town Council in the fall. Chapel Hill considered such an idea last year, but discussions were postponed while officials waited to see if such legislation would be carried out all over the state by the General Assembly. Since that ultimately proved not to be the case, officials are now considering bringing up the proposal again themselves.
“The concern is one where it’s reasonable at least to have a conversation about we should handle it,” says the Mayor of Chapel Hill, Mark Kleinschmidt. The current law in North Carolina forbids drivers under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle, but with eight other states plus the District of Columbia having enacted a complete ban for drivers of all ages, some people feel that North Carolina is now lagging behind. Kleinschmidt admits that before any ban is decided upon, the issue of enforcement on state roads needs to be considered, as does the possible exemption of hands free devices from any such legislation. “Is somebody using a hands free device, and are they distracted or are they just singing along to Lady Gaga?” he cites as an example of the problems of enforcing such a ban.