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Texting ban on hold over enforcement controversy

By Margo Gray – bio | email

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - A vote to ban texting while driving in the City of Huntsville was put on hold over questions of how to enforce it.

Drivers may not admit they do it, but when asked, most are just plain against texting while driving.

That's why Huntsville is considering a city wide ban on texting behind the wheel.

The proposed ordinance would ban the use of sending or receiving a text message, viewing pictures, or sending and reading email on a mobile device while driving.

At Thursday night's city council meeting, the biggest question was how the police department would fairly enforce the ban.

"I don't want the police taken away from what they do otherwise to pull people over and ask them what are you doing. How are you going to prove that they weren't texting and that they were just answering the phone," Councilmen Richard Showers said.

Chief Deputy Mark Hudson explained to the board, a driver can be fined for texting only for a secondary offense, meaning a driver would have to be spotted for something else like driving erratically before being pulled over.

"It simply means our officers could not stop citizens just for texting," Hudson said,

"It's just common sense, if you keep your eyes on the road and not a device in front of you, we will have much safer roads," said Mayor Tommy Battle who supports the ban.

A vote on the texting ban is expected at the next city council meeting on July 22nd.

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