Updated on: 11/7/2019
The head of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said he would support a statewide law in Arizona regarding cell phone use while driving, unless officers can prove that it is worth enforcing.
Phoenix is currently the only city in the state of Arizona with a ban on texting behind the wheel.
"Is a person talking on the phone, is a person dialing a phone number? How can you prove, from outside of a vehicle, if a person is text messaging or dialing a phone number," he asked.
Phoenix is currently the only city in the state of Arizona with a ban on texting behind the wheel.
"Is a person talking on the phone, is a person dialing a phone number? How can you prove, from outside of a vehicle, if a person is text messaging or dialing a phone number," he asked.
He said officers only have a few seconds to make a distinction, which makes it very difficult to enforce.
A law along the lines of Washington's all-out ban on cell phone use while driving is also not being considered, Gutier said.
Some experts compare texting and driving to drinking and driving, as the severity of drunk driving accidents often rival those involving distracted drivers.
Arizona Department of Public Safety officer Carrick Cook has declined to comment on this matter.
Cook said he would not be surprised if a distracted driving accidents was responsible for at least one minor or major car accident a day on Arizona roadways.
A survey conducted last year by the Behavior Research Center said that about 90 percent of Arizonans would support some form of a cell phone use ban for drivers.