Hands Free Ordinance For Boise?

It seems as if there has been a lot of talk surrounding a hands free ordinance banning the use of cell phones and other hand held devices while driving for Boise. Well today it looks like its closer to becoming a reality than ever before. The proposal that is sponsored by Boise City Council President Pro Tem Holli Woodings was approved to move forward via vote by the rest of the council this past Tuesday.

Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Hailey, Ketchum and Sandpoint have already put their own ordinances in place and according to ktvb these are the results:

Since the ordinance went into effect in Meridian on Jan. 1, police have issued 22 warnings and 23 citations.

Pocatello's ban started in December 2018 and since then, police have issued more than 100 warnings and 67 citations.

The Hailey Police Department said since August of 2016, there have been around 200 citations issued for violating the city's hands-free ordinance.

The difference between the Meridian ordinance and Boise is that Boise wants to add a point system on top of fines. Yes you would pay your $90 fine but if you get caught again within a certain amount of time then points would be added to your license. If you turn out to be a repeat offender who exceeds the points allowance then your license would be suspended for at least 30 days. One of the hurdles may be that the point system is in the gray area.

For now we will standby and see where this thing goes.