Last updated May 2, 2019
A proposed ban on the use of new and old cell phones while driving in Worthington in the United States has fallen through. The Worthington City Council voted 2 – 4 against the ordinance which would have made it an offence to drive while using a cell phone and would have made Worthington the fifth city in the state of Ohio to implement such a measure.
Ten states in America have already banned the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle, including California, Washington, Connecticut, Utah, Delaware, Oregon, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Nevada, as well as the District of Columbia.
Proponents of the ban are very disappointed by the Council’s decision, with many people saying that there is already ample proof of the fact that using cell phones while driving increases the risk of having an accident on the road and that the proposed ban should have gone through.
“Hand held cell phones in general are definitely distracting,” says Kimberley Schwind from the Ohio Automobile Association. “(It is) definitely a risk for drivers talking on the phone. We’ve found that quadruples your risk of getting in a crash.”
A motion to ban motorists from sending text messages on their cell phones while operating a motor vehicle passed the Ohio House of Representatives last month and is currently before the Ohio Senate.