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Austin Ponders Texting While Driving Ban

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Nov 4, 2008 11:23 am US/Central

Austin Ponders Texting While Driving Ban

AUSTIN (AP) ― A possible ban on text messaging while driving is being explored by city officials, according to a newspaper report.

The city of Austin's public safety task force approved a resolution Monday that the City Council ask City Manager Marc Ott and his staff to develop a proposal, vet it and bring it back to the council for consideration.

Under the resolution, motorists would be required to use hands-free devices.

Councilman Mike Martinez said he has received dozens of calls in recent months from motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists asking for such a law.

"It is something that needs to be done," said Martinez, who is leading the effort. "When you see accidents that have happened or you hear about near-misses, it is just a step we can take to ensure the safety of our citizens," the Austin American-Statesman reported Tuesday in its online edition.

"There are a lot of distractions in the car," said Debbie Russell, a task force member and president of the Central Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. "Just because this is the newest one ... doesn't mean we have to create a crime for this distraction."

The Austin Police Department was unable to provide statistics Monday about wrecks in which text messaging contributed. That information is scarce because it's hard to tell whether drivers were using phones just before a crash unless they admit it or a witness is available, said Sgt. Richard Stresing, a department spokesman.

But any type of driving distractions, whether it's talking on a cell phone or putting on makeup, can lead to wrecks, he said.

Seven states -- Alaska, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and West Virginia-- have enacted laws that prohibit text messaging for all drivers. Text messaging while driving also is banned in Washington, D.C.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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