BROOKLYN, Ohio (AP) -- Drivers who feel the need to talk to someone on their cellular phones better keep both hands on the steering wheel in this Cleveland suburb.
The town that claims to have pioneered the mandatory seatbelt law has extended its traffic safety laws to the use of cell phones.Mayor John M. Coyne said the issue came to his attention when police determined that an inattentive driver on a cell phone caused a minor accident involving two cars near a recreation center.
The week-old ordinance makes it a minor misdemeanor, punishable by a fine, to use a cell phone while driving unless both hands are on the steering wheel. Exceptions are allowed for an emergency, using the phone when the transmission is in "park" or if a speakerphone is used.
Police have issued a few warnings but no one has been ticketed yet, Police Department dispatcher Linda Walker said Monday.
Police Chief James F. Maloney said motorists wouldn't be pulled over for using a cell phone as a primary offense, but drivers weaving in traffic would be cited if they're holding a phone in one hand.
Maloney said a judge could impose a fine of up to $100.
The City Council approved the measure by a 5-2 vote on March 22. The Ohio Municipal League called it the first of its kind in the state.
Jeffrey Nelson, a spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association in Washington, said he's unaware of a similar law anywhere else in the country. Other states have considered similar bills but none have come to a vote, said Nelson.
Coyne said Brooklyn passed an ordinance in 1966 requiring people to use seat belts. At the time, that was believed to be the first such ordinance in the nation.