Phoenix’s Ban On Text Messaging While Driving Proves To Be Unenforceable And Largely Pointless
March 5th, 2008 (Visited 106,896 times)
When I heard of this ban last year, I thought it would be a lot like the seatbelt law. Except even more useless. Seatbelt laws do save lives in some cases (where the accidents would be helped and not hindered by wearing a belt), but enforcing them is almost impossible unless the driver is pulled over for something else and still too stupid to buckle up to avoid the ticket.
The local paper had some feedback from Phoenix officers who have been tasked with enforcing this. I have to agree with their experience so far, I don’t see how it can be done without crossing the line.
Only a handful of drivers have been cited under Phoenix’s ban on text messaging while driving, largely because of a loophole that makes the ordinance nearly impossible to enforce.
Backers of a similar proposal that would make it illegal to text while driving throughout the state have lauded the nation’s fifth-largest city as a leader in efforts to curb unsafe driving.
But since Oct. 20, when Phoenix’s permanent texting ban took effect, officers have cited only three motorists, according to police statistics obtained by The Arizona Republic Tuesday. Police did not have details on the citations.








