Yesterday I wrote about a proposed ordinance requested by Mayor Pro Tem David Wilson that would prohibit the use of a cell phone by someone operating a motor vehicle. At the same time I noted Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said he was working on such an ordinance and would have one ready by the City Council's next scheduled agenda meeting, Sept. 1. Here is the transcript of a short conversation I had with the chief on this subject via e-mail:
Q; Is the ordinance you are working on one that would just ban the use of hand held cell phones or will it include all hand-held electronic devices -- Ipods, tablets, Ipads, etc.?
Chief Barnett: Everything — all of those mentioned. This is obviously subject to the decisions yet to be made by the City Council.
Q: With the size of the force you will have even with the addition of the new officers in the upcoming budget, how difficult do you think it will be to enforce the ordinance or do you think, like speed limit limitations, posting signs will be effective enough?
Chief Barnett: I personally think that the law itself is meant to be a strong deterrent, but our officers will be keenly aware of the prohibitions and will enforce the same. This will be done in the normal course of their patrol duties.
Q: How many accidents have the police investigated in Kyle in the past two years that were directly caused by one of the drivers using a hand-held device at the time of the accident?
Chief Barnett: I don't have an answer for this, as it will take some time for review by the records staff. Let me check on this one and get back to you. It will likely be a couple of days before I have an answer. Short answer — a very small number — not that the real cause wasn't the operator's use of a device while driving, but rather the lack of admission on part of the driver or other proof of this activity for several reasons.
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