Tag Archives: ban

You can’t text and drive in Birmingham

Posted on July 13, 2010 | 3 comments

Texting while at the wheel. OregonDOT/FlickrBirmingham, AL has joined Jacksonville, Vestavia Hills, Gadsden and Roanoke as the latest city to approve a ban on texting while driving.

The new ordinance was passed unanimously during this morning’s Birmingham City Council meeting. Those drivers found in violation of the the ordinance will be subject to a $100 fine.

Other cities currently considering a texting while driving ban in Alabama include Huntsville (which recently delayed their vote due to issues involving enforcement) and Decatur.

Alabama hosted the nation’s first statewide summit on distracted driving back in December (though an attempt to pass a statewide ban, while widely supported in the legislature, failed to pass in the Senate this spring). Sponsors of the bill hope to bring it up for a vote again during the upcoming legislative session.

Photo: Texting while at the wheel. OregonDOT/Flickr

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Posted in The City

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No texting while driving in Vestavia Hills

Posted on May 11, 2010 | 1 comment

Texting while driving. mrJasonWeaver/FlickrWhile you shouldn’t be texting while driving anyway (especially during that commute to and from work), last night Vestavia Hills became the first city in metro Birmingham to pass an ordinance banning texting (and other forms of electronic messaging) while driving. Now, you have up to 100 reasons for not doing it ($100 is the maximum fine allowed by the new law). Those other forms of messaging include typing on laptops and typing information into a global positioning system.

According to The Birmingham News‘ report, it should take approximately one week for the new law to take effect. Vestavia Hills Council President Mary Lee Rice expressed her disappointment in comments to ABC 33/40 and WBRC in state lawmakers not passing a statewide ban during the most recent legislative session.

CBS 42 reminded us in their piece that there are already two other cities in Alabama currently enforcing a texting ban, Jacksonville and Roanoke.

Photo: Texting while driving. mrJasonWeaver/Flickr

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Posted in traffic, Vestavia Hills

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