D.C. City Council Considering Car Cell Phone Ban

Washington D.C.’s City Council is considering a ban on the use of handheld mobile phones in cars, which would affect an estimated 240,000 D.C. residents and another 300,000 commuters from Maryland and Virginia.

The council heard testimony highlighting safety concerns resulting from inattention by drivers using handheld phones. The proposed ban would not apply to phones which use headsets or earpieces that don’t require a driver to hold them, nor to law enforcement and safety personnel.

If the ban is enacted, violators would face $100 fines, and D.C. would join New York and Rhode Island which have adopted similar measures.