I.F. City Council scheduled to vote on whether to ban cell phone use while driving
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IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls City Council will vote Thursday night on whether drivers can keep cell phones in their hands while behind the wheel.
City Councilman Jim Freeman introduced the proposed distracted driving ordinance during a work session on Sept. 24, and the city council has decided it’s time to move forward with a draft.
“Anybody who drives a car sees people at the stop light who don’t know the light has turned green because they’re looking at their phone,” Freeman told EastIdahoNews.com last month. “It’s hard not to take a glance at it, and then we get away with it, right? Every time that you get away with it, it reinforces that it’s okay to do it.”
RELATED: Using your cell phone while driving in Idaho Falls may soon be illegal
The state of Idaho has already enacted a ban on texting and driving; however, the new Idaho Falls ordinance would further limit the use of cell phones while driving and only allow for hands-free use while operating a vehicle within city limits.
The City Council meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and there will be time for public comment at the beginning of the meeting.