Connecticut Local Politics

Cell Phones

by CGG · January 30th, 2007, 11:07 am · 22 Comments

State Rep’s Richard Roy, D-Milford and Tom Drew, D-Fairfield are co-sponsoring a bill that would increase fines for drivers caught talking on cell phones on the road. A hearing was held yesterday to debate the bill.
From the Courant:

Two state lawmakers – tired of watching motorists buzzing around in flagrant violation of the state law banning such use – want to increase the existing $100 fine to $250.

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Besides raising the fine, the bill calls for increasing the payment to towns where the ticket originates as an incentive to improve enforcement. Currently, municipalities receive $10 for every $100 ticket; under the proposal, towns would get $25 for every $250 fine, which sponsors said could be used toward improvements in local police departments.

I’m not sure how much difference an increased fine will make, but then I’m not sure how much difference the original bill made.
Source. Poitras, Colin. “Too Much Talking In Cars”. Hartford Courant. 1/30/06

Tags: CT General Assembly · Issues

22 responses so far ↓

  • 1 toucan // Jan 30, 2007 at 12:41 pm ·

    This is a ridiculous proposal. The police need to spend their time routing out public enemies like Ken Krayeske. ;;)

  • 2 Genghis Conn // Jan 30, 2007 at 1:07 pm ·

    I have never even heard of anyone being pulled over for a cell phone violation, which is too bad. Use of cell phone while driving hasn’t decreased at all. If anything, it’s gotten worse.

  • 3 TrueBlueCT // Jan 30, 2007 at 1:30 pm ·

    I know 4 or 5 people who have been cited under the current law. It’s definitely having an effect in my neck of the woods.

    What’s with Rep. Roy being such a fuddy-duddy? The $100 fine should be enough of a deterrent, and it’s not as if talking on a cell phone while driving is that big a problem. (I mean the world wasn’t ending before the initial legislation was passed.)

    Anyway, as technology evolves, this problem is slowly but surely going away. More and more cars will have BlueTooth technology built-in.

  • 4 JM // Jan 30, 2007 at 1:50 pm ·

    Are there any statistics that single out cell phone use as a significantly higher risk than other driving distractions? How many accidents in Ct have been the result of cell phone use since the law was enacted? I’m not a big cell phone user so I’m not getting excited either way, but the discussion seems to be rather short on facts.

  • 5 JustShutUp // Jan 30, 2007 at 2:57 pm ·

    It seems to me that raising the fine for a cell phone infraction above the current fine for running a red light is simply overkill…

  • 6 nutmeg_constitution // Jan 30, 2007 at 9:02 pm ·

    From what I’ve seen where I live, a dramatically lower percentage of drivers use handheld cell phones when driving now than was true before the law was passed. I would support a much larger fine ($1000?).

    When I see a car doing strange things, such as going extremely slow when there is no reason to stop and mildly swerving at the same time, I basically always joke to myself that the person is probably using a cell phone. I’ve had these thoughts for about six years and almost always the person truly is using a cell phone when I pass by and check out what’s going on with them. I can’t stand drivers who use handheld cell phones.

  • 7 Al // Jan 31, 2007 at 9:09 am ·

    I’m just a bit more concerned about all the drivers, including many police, flying past me on the highway doing well over 80 MPH each day. Or all those who are speeding up and down local streets, ignoring stop signs, and red lights, than I am with people using cell phones while they drive.

    Just a perfect example of useless, feel good legislation. Sure, change the fine level if anyone thinks it will make a difference, it won’t. But I would feel a whole lot safer on the roads if our police were more focused on those who drive with reckless abandon, then spending their time looking for people to pull over for this silly stuff.

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