Texting While Driving Banned in Medford

Texting while driving has been banned in Medford, although talking on the phone while behind the wheel is still legal.

– Allison Goldsberry

Texting while behind the wheel on Medford roads can now earn a hefty fine.

A ban on text messaging while driving passed the Medford City Council, 5-2, in its third and final reading during the Council’s Tuesday night meeting.

“Distracted driving is directly responsible for thousands of deaths on US roads each year according to the National Transportation Department. There are three major elements that are part of distracted driving, which are taking your eyes off the road, removing your hands from the wheel and taking your mind off what you are doing and texting involves all three elements. The average motor vehicle weighs between three and four thousand pounds and can reach speeds exceeding 80mph. The vehicle can quickly turn into a weapon when operated by a distracted driver,” said City Councilor Michael Marks, who spearheaded the ban.

The first offense is $100, the second offense is $200, and the third offense would result in a $300 fine. The ban would apply only on Medford streets, and not state roads such as the Fellsway and Mystic Valley Parkway.

Marks said he hopes the state legislature will pass a statewide ban. He said nineteen states, including New Hampshire, currently ban texting behind the wheel.

In an interview in January, when Councilor Marks proposed the ban, 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.

City Councilor Stephanie Muccini Burke, who voted against the ban with Councilor Robert Penta, told the Boston Globe she also would like to see a statewide ban on texting behind the wheel.

Burke said she opposed Medford’s texting ban because it does not apply to dialing telephone numbers on a cellphone while driving.

“I think that texting and dialing a cell phone amount to the same activity. If it is unsafe to text then it is unsafe to type in numbers. This ordinance did not go far enough. Both myself and Councilor Penta offered an amendment banning the dialing or texting of cell phones unless one had a hands free device in their vehicle. This failed on 3-4 vote. I strongly agree that the use of cell phones in vehicles is rampant and unsafe,” said Councilor Burke.

Councilor Marks said the Councilors talked about banning all cell phone use behind the wheel but a consensus could not be reached.

“Yes, there was discussion however not much support to include phones at this time. In my opinion texting while driving poses a much greater danger than cell use and adding cells may have been a deal breaker for some members. So why not enact what you can get and down the line you can always amend the language,” said Marks.

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.