A bill to ban use of cellphones in school zones has been introduced into legislature.
The idea for Senate Bill 123 came from David White a volunteer crossing guard in Anchorage. The Senate Affairs Committee advanced the bill without objection Thursday, where White said he has confronted drivers about chatting behind the wheel before.
White: “They take the position that, number 1, what they are doing is important; number 2, that they’re safe; and number 3, that it’s not illegal so they can do what they’re doing. The only thing that they’re correct about it is that it’s not illegal.”
Anchorage Schools Superintendant Ed Graff said using cell phones while near school zones is an especially bad idea.
Graff: “With the school zones and the areas with hundreds of pedestrians, bicyclists, vehicles on a daily basis, you mix that with a distracted driver, ya know, it’s just too great of a potential for an accident of injury to happen.”
Anchorage Assembly tried to pass an ordinance to ban cell phones while driving in school zones but the state must authorize new traffic laws.
SB 123 is separate from another bill which would ban using screen devices at stop lights.