BREAKING: City Council unanimously approves cell phone driving ban

Oh man, are we glad to be transit riders today.
Philadelphia City Council has unanimously passed legislation that could make it illegal to use cell phones while driving motor vehicles, Technically Philly reports.
Citizens would be required to use hands-free headsets or other devices behind the wheel, according to a press release from councilmembers Bill Green, Bill Greenlee and Frank Rizzo.
“The passage of this legislation should send a very clear message: drivers need to put down their cell phones and pay attention to the road,” Councilman Bill Greenlee said in the statement. “Dialing a phone number or sending a text message while driving will no longer be tolerated in the City of Philadelphia.”
For the bill to be made into law, Mayor Michael Nutter will have to sign it, which he plans on doing, said administration spokesman Luke Butler. When he will hasn’t been established, but the city charter dictates the mayor has to sign or veto legislation within 10 days, Butler said.

The law would go into effect immediately after Nutter signs it, unless he asks for a grace period, said Seth Levi, a spokesman for Councilman Bill Green’s office. Fines would range from $150-$300, though first offenders could pay as little as $75 if paid within 10 days.

Last month, a Qunnipiac poll of Pennsylvania residents suggested that 85 percent of registered voters support a statewide ban.
A report earlier this year by the National Safety Council cited that driving while using a cell phone contributes to six percent of all driving accidents, the Associated Press reported in February.
In public testimony before City Council in March, Lieutenant Francis Healy of the Philadelphia Police Department spoke of the department’s support for the bill, comparing vehicle cell phone use to drunk driving and vouching as a witness to several cell phone related accidents.
“It’s obvious that the time has come to legislatively address the issue of driving while talking or texting on a cell phone. It is a safety issue plain and simple,” he said.
Emergency calls are exempt from the ban. New Jersey has had its version of a statewide cell phone ban for more than a year.
Staff writer Christopher Wink contributed to this report.