Kalispell could approve cell ban Monday night

(KALISPELL)- Kalispell may finally enact its own ban on using a cell phone while driving this week.

The Kalispell city council is scheduled to discuss the ban, which would make it illegal to not only text while driving, but even make it illegal to simply talk on a phone without using a hands-free device. As with other cities in the state who've adopted similar rules, council members seem split over the idea. Some believe it's a good way to improve public safety, while other council members wonder about how effective the new rules would really be in stopping accidents. 

The council is set to discuss the ordinance Monday night.

If approved, Kalispell would be the last major city in the state to ban cell phone use behind the wheel. Missoula's revised ordinance just took effect earlier this month. 

Missoula could approve cell ban tonight

(MISSOULA)- Missoula could become the final major city in Montana to block the use of cell phones while driving, if the city council approves a ban tonight. 

Three years ago, Missoula attempted to put a complete ban on cell phone use behind the wheel. But the ordinance was one of the first proposed in the state and had several problems with its wording. Mayor John Engen vetoed the ban on phone calls, although the city did ban texting and driving. 

However, Missoula Police have admitted they’ve been able to do little to enforce the ban.

Now, Councilman Dave Strohmaier is again pressing for the city to enact a full ban, pointing to other cities like Billings and Bozeman that have since enacted their own restrictions. 

The council has spent the past couple of weeks wrestling with the wording of the prohibition, and how it would be enforced. The most recent draft of the ordinance still calls for a $100 fine for first offenders which can’t be suspended or waived, with a minimum fine of $350 if someone using a phone is involved in a crash. 

The ordinance would ban the use of cellphones for calls and texting, but allows for the use of hands free devices. It also allows exemptions for GPS units, two way radios and “dispatching devices” and ham radios. Police would also be exempt. 

One interesting exemption is to allow people to press a “single button to initiate or terminate a voice communication using a mobile telephone.” However the prohibition makes it against the law to “hold” a wireless communications device. 

The council could vote on the measure at tonight’s meeting. 

Proposed Missoula cell phone ban to be tested tonight

(MISSOULA)- Three years after attempting a ban on cellphones and driving, the Missoula City Council will open its microphones again tonight, seeing if attitudes have changed. 

The panel is scheduled to hold a public hearing tonight on the latest version of rules that would prohibit not only texting while driving, but just having a normal phone conversation while behind the wheel. 

The council attempted to pass a ban on 2009, but problems in some of the wording in the law prompted Mayr John Engen to veto the measure, although the city did pass a rarely enforced provision against texting and driving. Since that time, Bozeman, Billings and even smaller towns like Whitefish and Hamilton have passed their own cell bans. Kalispell is also re-considering a cell ban. 

Now, Councilman Dave Strohmaier is again proposing a more complete ban, which would prohibit the use of “hand-held electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle or bicycle.” However, the rules would allow for the use of “hands free” devices. It would also contain an exemption for drivers who pull out of the lane of travel and park on the side of road to make a call, as long as their cars are out of gear. 

The ordinance would also stop Missoula Police from writing tickets and only issuing warnings for 90-days after it’s approved. 

While the proposal seems to have measure of support from other members of council this time, not everyone is sold on the idea. At a recent council committee work session, Councilman Adam Hertz raised the question of rapidly changing technology, wondering how the rules would apply to newer cars where not just cell phones, but car systems like heating and air conditioning are all operated through touch screens or even linked to smart phones. 

The council’s hearing is set during its regular 7 p.m. meeting tonight. 

Great Falls could vote on cell ban this week

(GREAT FALLS)- Great Falls may become the latest Montana city to attempt some sort of ban on cell phones after a public hearing scheduled for this week. 

Great Falls leaders, concerned over hazards caused by people driving while using the mobile devices, is looking at a proposed ordinance to ban the use of phones for calling or texting while they're behind the wheel. Bozeman, Helena, Billings and other larger cities, as well as smaller towns like Whitefish and Hamilton, have already adopted bans.

The Great Falls city council will hold a public hearing on the city's proposed rules Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and could vote on the ordinance right afterward.

Read more about the debate over Great Falls' cell phone ban from the Great Falls Tribune. 

Columbia Falls jumps on cell phone “ban wagon”

(COLUMBIA FALLS)- Just days after Hamilton enacted a ban on the use of cell phones while driving, Columbia Falls is also considering it’s own prohibition on dialing and driving.

Hamilton became the smallest city in the state to enact a cell phone ban on Tuesday, joining other places like Whitefish and Bozeman in prohibiting the use of cell phones altogether.

Now, the Columbia Falls city council is considering whether to enact a similar ordinance.

The council has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed ban for June 18^th. Like the ordinances enacted by other Montana cities, the Columbia Falls law covers the broad spectrum of “electronic communication devices” and not just cell phones. The ordinance as written would involve “wireless or cellular phones, personal digital assistances (PDA’s), blackberries, smartphones, laptop and notebook computers utilizing VOIP (voice over internet protocol) technology, wireless and cellular phones utilizing push to talk technology, GPS systems, navigational systems, and any other mobile communication devices and transmittals to permit wireless communication to and from the user of the device.”

The ordinance would be an amendment to the city’s municipal code.