New Hurst ordinance bans texting while driving

No more texting while driving in Hurst, at least by law.

Last week, the City Council adopted a distracted driving ordinance that prohibits using hand-held devices including cellphones, gaming devices and tablets when behind the wheel in Hurst unless the vehicle is out of the roadway or the driver is making an emergency call.

There are some exceptions that allow motorists to use their phones in hands-free mode to make calls or use them as a GPS device when attached to the vehicle. Emergency personnel are also exempt from the ordinance.

Police are concerned about the number of crashes in Hurst caused by distracted driving. Since 2013, over 200 crashes per year were caused by distracted driving, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

“Since the state isn’t doing anything on this, we wanted to follow what other cities have done,” Police Chief Steve Moore said.

Several North Texas cities including Bedford, Arlington, Watauga, Denton, Little Elm, Rowlett, Farmers Branch and Grand Prairie have distracted-driving ordinances in place.

Hurst police Lt. Jim Pell told council members that a 2015 survey of residents showed that three-quarters of those who responded favored drivers using hands-free devices.

In Hurst, 1 in 5 crashes is caused by distracted driving, he said.

“This is a significant problem for us,” he said

Since the ordinance is already in effect, Hurst will post signs and launch a campaign to educate drivers via social media. There is a three-month grace period before people will get a ticket. People caught using their cellphones or other devices while driving could face a fine of up to $500.

Texas is among four states without a distracted-driving law in place. In 2011 the Legislature passed a law, but former Gov. Rick Perry vetoed it, saying that it was a governmental effort to micromanage adults. In 2013, lawmakers also failed in their efforts to pass a distracted-driving law.

But concerns about distracted driving are fueling public service announcements and billboard campaigns to make people aware of the consequences.

Recently, Lucas Funeral Homes in Fort Worth launched an ad campaign in hopes of keeping drivers from using their services. The billboard ad reads, “PLZ DNT TXT N DRV: We Can Wait.”

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 11:24 AM with the headline "New Hurst ordinance bans texting while driving."