Council Considers Ban on Texting While Driving

Story Updated 9:07AM Wednesday, May 12, 2010

– Allison Goldsberry

The Medford City Council is considering a ban on text messaging while driving.

The Council met a Committee of the Whole to discuss the issue on Tuesday, May 11 before their regular meeting.

According to City Councilor Michael Marks, who has spearheaded the issue, the Committee’s recommendations were approved by the Council and were sent to City Solicitor Mark Rumley. Rumley will craft an ordinance and it will come before the Council for a vote soon.

“The language just needs to be tweaked and put under the correct section of the ordinances,” said Councilor Marks in an email.

Back in January Councilor Marks proposed a ban on texting while driving on Medford’s roads. The Council passed his resolution unanimously and planned to discuss the issue further in a Committee of the Whole meeting.

In an interview in January, Councilor Marks said he was inspired by legislation taken up in Boston and Danvers, and frustrated by inaction by the state legislature.

“The state legislature’s inaction on this issue has really bothered me…They just fell asleep at the wheel, literally,” said Marks.

Councilor Marks has proposed a $100 fine for texting while driving. The ban would apply only on Medford streets, and not state roads such as the Fellsway and Mystic Valley Parkway.

Marks said the city should pass its own ban and he hopes the state legislature will follow suit. He said nineteen states, including New Hampshire, currently ban texting behind the wheel.

Councilor Marks said sobering statistics found on distraction.gov, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website about the dangers of distracted driving, also convinced him to take action.

He acknowledged there are many different kinds of distracted driving in addition to texting, such as cell phone use, eating, and even applying make-up while behind the wheel.

“Now it seems like if you’re not doing something else while driving, it’s not the norm,” said Councilor Marks.

In January Marks said he hoped his resolution would be referred to subcommittee so a hearing can be held and legislation eventually crafted, with input from the city solicitor and police chief.

Tuesday’s meeting is open to the public and begins at 6:30PM. The regular Council meeting is at 7:00PM and will be broadcast live on Channel 16.