Road cellphone ban studied for Col. Falls

Columbia Falls is considering a citywide ban on the use of handheld electronic devices by drivers, with a public hearing on the proposal set for June 18.

“Our thought is to see what kind of public interest there is out there,” said City Manager Susan Nicosia.

At recent meetings, Columbia Falls City Council members and other city officials have shared anecdotal stories about how they were almost hit by text-messaging drivers, with some of those drivers leaving the high school.

“We’ve had several incidents, so the council thought it was time to bring it forward,” Nicosia said of the proposal.

Incidents include a man who drove off River Road into the Flathead River on May 2 because he was texting while driving. Just an hour earlier, the same man was text-messaging when he rear-ended another vehicle on U.S. 2.

“You see a lot of drivers on their phones,” Nicosia said. She added that Columbia Falls is looking at the ban Whitefish enacted last September.

“We decided we’d have the same rules so people wouldn’t be confused driving from one city to the other ... We thought that would be much clearer,” Nicosia said.

Whitefish prohibits the use of handheld electronic devices by drivers inside its city limits. It imposes a fine of up to $100 for the first violation and up to $300 for subsequent violations.

The city’s ban does not apply to hands-free devices, emergency responders, passengers or drivers who pull out of traffic and stop to make a call or write, read or send a text message.

With no action taken to date by the Montana Legislature, three other cities — Missoula, Billings and Butte — have imposed cellphone ordinances.

Missoula prohibits drivers — and bicycle riders — from writing, reading or sending text messages while traveling on public roads.

“They encountered some enforcement problems because it was hard to tell if people were texting or dialing. We don’t want to get into that,” Nicosia said.

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended a nationwide ban on the use of cellphones and text-messaging devices by motorists.

The head of that federal safety board, Deborah Hersman, has called distracted driving a growing concern and something that significantly increases the risk of an accident. In February she said, “It’s time for all of us to stand up for safety by turning off electronic devices while driving.”

Nicosia said she’s not sure if a full statewide ban is needed in Montana. There are long stretches of remote rural roads where people can drive without seeing other motorists, but that situation can change on congested city roads, she said.

“We’re just asking for public comment to see the general consensus on if it’s a good idea in our city limits.”

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.