A bill placing new limits for drivers using cellphones, including a ban for anyone under 18 and for the general public driving in construction and school zones, cleared an early hurdle in the Kansas Legislature on Tuesday.
The House Transportation Committee passed out the bill, which would ban all drivers from using a handheld mobile phone while driving in a construction zone when workers are present and through a school zone during designated hours.
The ban on anyone under 18 from using a mobile phone does not apply to teen drivers using a hands-free mobile device.
The fine for a violation would be $60.
Some lawmakers who supported the bill thought it didn’t go far enough. They thought the penalty should be tougher and the cellphone ban should apply to more drivers.
“I disagree with the cutoff being age 18. It should be at least 21,” said Republican state Rep. Leo Delperdang of Wichita.
“I really think the fines for this should be greater, but they’re not,” Delperdang said. “We’ve got thousands who die each year because of texting – whether doing the texting or being on the receiving end of someone driving who’s not paying attention.
“I wish this would put more teeth into the bill for law enforcement. I’m disappointed that it does not,” he said.
During 2022, there were 58,734 vehicle crashes, according to state transportation department.
The leading cause of those crashes was generally inattentive driving at 17.4% followed by animal collisions at 12% and right-of-way violations at 10.5%.
Drivers using a mobile phone was blamed in 587 crashes during 2022, the data shows.
There were 1,232 crashes in work zones during 2022 resulting in 12 deaths and 375 injuries, according to state data.
The Transportation Department reported that there have been 88 fatalities and 5,389 injuries in nearly 12,500 distraction-related crashes from 2017 through 2022.
According to data compiled by KDOT, more than 155,500 crashes in Kansas since 2013 have involved distracted drivers, with costs totaling about $15.9 billion.
The cellphone bill is one of two traffic-safety bills winding through the Legislature this year.
The Senate Transportation Committee recently passed a bill expanding the so-called move-over law. It is still pending in the Senate.
The law current requires drivers approaching stationary emergency vehicles, tow trucks, utility trucks and garbage trucks to move out of the lane nearest the emergency vehicle or slow to a speed safe for conditions.
The bill expands the law to cover all vehicles flashing their hazard lights or where flares or other warning signals are deployed.
The bill adds a fine of $75 for a violation of the law.
