Major flaws with the recently added Evanston Cell phone ordinance.

 

1. Objective should be public safety, yet the actual ordinance does not even closely align with the very sources that officials cited as the originating basis.

 

• The ordinance provides exclusions for 'hard wired' - yet that is more dangerous

   

• The ordinance provides exclusions 'as long as you do not physically touch it'- again, more dangerous

   

2. The ordinance specifically protects all government workers...for non personal business - and allows for all government workers ... WHY ?

 

Quoted from the ordinance "Any person using a mobile telephone or on-board communications device for non-personal use in the course of ordinary business in their employment with a City, State or Federal agency or authority"

 

3. The city provided only "one week" to "educate the public"... really? with over 100k citizens and thousands of visitors

 

4. Since the 'one week warning' the City is providing $50 citations; no warnings.

 

5. The city's communication to neighboring communities is comprised of 13 signs... over 147 miles of city roads

 

 

TAKE ACTION : Call or email your mayor and aldermen/women. We deserve a fair ordinance that provides the intended safety aspects for our citizens - while not unnecessarily fining people.

 

 

 

Actual ordinance                 http://www.cityofevanston.org/assets/pdf/Cell-Phones-While-Driving-ban.pdf

 

 

 

Contact information           http://www.cityofevanston.org/government/city-council/