State House Votes Down Cell Phone Ban For Motorists
The state House this afternoon voted down legislation to ban the use of cell phones by drivers, less than a week after City Council passed similar legislation for motorists in Philadelphia. Mayor Nutter will sign the local legislation into law "soon, and publicly," according to his spokesman, Doug Oliver.
The state House this afternoon voted down legislation to ban the use of cell phones by drivers, less than a week after City Council passed similar legislation for motorists in Philadelphia. Mayor Nutter will sign the local legislation into law "soon, and publicly," according to his spokesman, Doug Oliver.
The House then approved legislation that would allow police statewide to issue an extra $50 traffic ticket if talking on a cell phone caused a motorist to drive carelessly, according to the Associated Press.
PennDOT has repeatedly said the local legislation conflicts with the state Motor Vehicle Code. And a Montgomery County attorney who successfully challenged a similar law in Bucks County in 2000 has vowed to challenge the Philadelphia law.
Out in Harrisburg, the state House voted 100-95 against a cell phone ban for drivers, which would have carried a $50 fine for violations, according to the Associated Press. State Rep. Josh Shapiro, a Montgomery County Democrat, said he sponsored the legislation to help prevent accidents involving drivers distracted by their phones.