DENVER—State lawmakers will consider whether to require all adult drivers to use a handsfree device when talking on their cell phones.
The bill (House Bill 1094) was introduced Monday by state Rep. Claire Levy, a Democrat from Boulder. It also would ban teenagers and the drivers of school buses and taxis from using cell phones to talk or text while driving.
Violators would be fined $100.
Levy said she’s noticed that drivers talking on cell phones don’t always stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and seem unaware of their speed.
“I think it’s time for people to start focusing on driving when they’re in the car,” she said.
Last year, 9-year-old Erica Forney was killed in Fort Collins while riding a bike after an SUV drifted into the bike lane. Police believe the driver was talking on a cell phone.
Levy said she didn’t introduce the bill because of the girl’s death but said it has raised awareness about the issue.
On-duty police officers, firefighters and the drivers of emergency vehicles would be exempt from her proposed ban.
The National Safety Council has been pushing for a total ban on cell phone use while driving—both regular and handsfree talking.
Six states—California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah and Washington—and the District of Columbia ban the use of hand-held cell phones behind the wheel, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Seventeen states and the district restrict or ban cell phone use by new drivers.
