After two years of discussion, Chapel Hill Town Council voted 5-4 Monday night to ban the use of cellphones while driving.
The ban covers both handheld and hands-free cellphones, making Bluetooth earpieces and built-in wireless connectors in newer car models illegal.
The ban is a secondary offense, meaning police cannot stop drivers for talking on their phones without having another reason to pull them over. But those who are ticketed face a $25 fine.
“It’s not really banning talking on a cellphone, it’s banning talking on a cellphone if you’re doing something else,” Mayor Pro Tem Ed Harrison said.
Council member Donna Bell said though she would have rather seen the ban pass on the state level, she thinks the move to help keep drivers from being distracted is important to have in Chapel Hill.
“I would prefer it’s more comprehensive than just cellphones … but people are telling me to take baby steps,” she said.
The state attorney general’s office has said the town does not have the authority to enforce the measure because many larger roads in Chapel Hill actually fall under state jurisdiction.
But council members said they would rather pass the ban now and see if it is challenged later.
The council also discussed the possibility of adding signage to the Chapel Hill town borders, in order to clarify where using cellphones while driving is illegal.
