$1,000 fine for using cellphone on the road dead in Oregon Legislature

[alp227]

Source: The Oregonian

A bill that would have attached a $1,000 maximum fine to texting while driving is dead, according to Senate President Peter Courtney.

Courtney sponsored Senate Bill 9, which would have boosted the potential fine well above the current $500 penalty for using a cell phone while driving, but the bill is stuck in committee and Courtney said he thinks the Legislature won’t move it before the end of the session.

“It’s dying,” Courtney said. “I’m very disappointed. It’s a serious defeat for public safety in Oregon.”

Any bill could regain a second life in the Legislature until lawmakers close out the session. But heading into what lawmakers hope will be their final week in Salem, Courtney's prognosis seems to be accurate.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/06/1000_fine_for_using_cell_phone.html#incart_m-rpt-2

[RC]

1. $1000 fine is a bit excessive

Maybe if they were in an accident, then the heavy fine.

[GoneOffShore]

2. I'm sorry, no, it isn't too high.

Using a cellphone in any manner, and that includes handsfree, is as dangerous as driving while drunk.

https://www.aaafoundation.org/sites/default/files/research_reports/DistractedDrivingAmongNewlyLicensedTeenDrivers.pdf

[RC]

3. So what? It is still excessive.

Maybe not for the over paid politician that came up with this bit of BS, but for the person that needs that cell phone for the job, a someone that does not make that much gross a month, it could bankrupt them.
No matter how you look at it, the fine IS excessive. Make it incremental and after a certain number of citations, then maybe OK. But for the first time, no. That is too Republican.

[frylock]

4. i agree

[GoneOffShore]

9. Whatever you say.

But you are just as dead if you're killed by a distracted texting driver or a drunk driver.

Following your logic, fines should be incremental for drunk driving.

You need a cell phone for a job, you pull over and take the call or respond to the text.

[DeschutesRiver]

10. Was ORS 811.507(3)(d) changed? Because you can talk on a cellphone while driving here

For a job or whatever purpose. Cellphone use while driving is allowed in Oregon. Holding it to your ear is banned; hooking it up to a hands free device to use it is allowed.

Plus there are exceptions for quite a few jobs that allow cellphone use without the hands free requirement.

http://www.leg.state.or.us/ors/811.html

Unless there was a 2013 change of which I am unaware, this was just poorly worded reporting which appeared to suggest that cellphones cannot be used in anyway while you drive (ie, that you must always pull over, or whatever). Because that is not correct afaik (I also read the proposed legislation which also still had the hands free language).

[premium]

6. I might agree if it included cops also

otherwise, uh uh, too excessive.

[Drahthaardogs]

12. It is only excessive if you break the law.

As long as you comply, it is not excessive at all.

[FiveGoodMen]

8. Then talking to passengers in your car should also be illegal.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Way too excessive.

$200 to $250 might be bordering on excessive too. The low end more reasonable. What is the fine for inattentive driving?

[Kolesar]

7. Various cyclists and pedestrians will be surely dead...eom

[Ash_F]

11. I would rather see mandatory defensive driving.

The 1%er's would just laugh at a 1000$ fine. Have them spend a full day in one of those boring classes.

[former9thward]

23. 1%ers have drivers.

[Shrek]

13. $1000 is way too low

To be an effective deterrent, it needs to be punitively high, at least $25K.

There's no legitimate reason, none at all, why anyone needs to text and drive at the same time, especially when doing so endangers innocent lives.

[fredamae]

14. With all the Tech

we have available--just develop a "block" to disable the Phone while the vehicle is moving....
All inc calls will be "auto-stored-messaged" to retrieve when safely stopped.

Hell if the NSA can remotely turn on your smart-phone cameras and mics with-out you Knowing why can't they do this?
Ohhhh---wait--it was a REVENUE Bill (aka a New Tax)!

[thenooch]

15. You didn't think this through...

what if you and a passenger are getting chased by a homicidal maniac and your co-pilot wants to call 911? Sure the technology is there to use GPS to shut off phones when moving but there are times when it might be necessary.

I just moved to Oregon and got pulled over twice in one month for no seat belt. The first time it was a computerized
warning, the second time $110 fine that they reduced to $50 when I showed up in court.

I wear the god damned seat belt now.

[fredamae]

18. 911 Always Works..

Or it can be.....

[penultimate]

21. How about this scenario then

I'm a 16 year old girl (or boy) who is driving to the mall with my BFFs, and I just found out that Ms. Billy Jean Four Eyed Macgee was asked to the prom by Mr.Stud McMuffin Pants via text message from my pretend BFF Jessica McBoringnator. How am I supposed to update my twitter and facebook statuses to express my disgust and frustrations about the high school inter-clique mingling that's taking place? Like OMG.

Seriously, this law is like so lame.

[DeschutesRiver]

17. Since we can use a cellphone while driving in OR, no need for any auto lock.

We have to use the cellphone hands free, is all that is required.

They wanted to up the fine, as apparently it is too much to ask people to use their phone hands free, so they can use their hands for other things, like steering.

[DeschutesRiver]

16. You can use a cellphone while driving in Oregon, see above.

The law only requires that you use a hands free device to operate it.

And ORS 811.507 has multiple exceptions that allow people in certain jobs use it without any restrictions.

This is not a new law. They were just going to increase the fine because people do not want to use their cellphone hands free.

No one is being banned from using a cellphone while driving in Oregon.

[davidpdx]

19. Good point

Also completely OT police can pull you over if you are not wearing your seat belt in Oregon. That happened to me 10 years ago and it was a $86 fine, I'm sure it's much more than that now.

[DeschutesRiver]

20. It is even a Class C traffic violation if you fail to maintain your seat belts

in working order per ORS 811.

And yeah, that seat belt fine is more now - it used to cause a big brouhaha here in Oregon when I was younger, because some people refused to be belted in a car while crossing bridges, in case they crashed and had to escape from their submerged cars, or so went the argument back then.

[davidpdx]

24. I can only imagine what it is now

If it was $86 10 years ago. It's funny how I remember the exact amount.

[penultimate]

22. They should just make it a law that you ALWAYS need to have your hands at 10 and 2

If a police officer sees your hands anywhere but 10 and 2, he/she can pull you over and you taser you... Or at least write you a ticket for reckless driving.

[longship]

26. 10 and 2? God, I hope not.

Get in a fender bender on the ice (e.g.). Air bag goes off. BINGO! Two broken arms. Thank you very little.

I now drive with hands at 4 and 8. As should anybody with a steering wheel airbag.

[penultimate]

29. Heh.. I find 10 and 2 feels very awkward for me.

I'm a 4 and 8 driver too. Actually, I'm probably more often an 8 o'clock or 4 o'clock only driver.

[mokawanis]

25. $1,000 is a lot of money for low-income people

Would be better to impose a much smaller fine but also take points away.

[Kurska]

28. Or make traffic fines a based on Income like it is in some European Countries.

That way billionares can't shrug it off and laugh and it doesn't destroy the livelihood of people barely getting by.

[Kurska]

27. Texting is by one of the most dangerous things you can do while driving.

The effect on concentration is nearly equivalent to being drunk.

1,000 dollars might not even be enough.