Safety group calls for cell phone driving code
[As a cyclists a good percentage of my emergency avoidance situations are caused by motorists on cell phones.]
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The Maryland Highway Safety Foundation said it hopes to recruit 100 businesses with a cumulative 100,000 employees to adopt policies covering such matters as cell phone use, texting while behind the wheel, driving while intoxicated and other traffic offenses. Foundation co-chairman David Nevins announced the effort at a morning meeting that drew some of the state's top political leaders, including Gov. Martin O'Malley, House Speaker Michael E. Busch and Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.
After the meeting, O'Malley said his administration would become one of the employers to adopt such rules for users of state-owned vehicles. "Stay tuned. It's in the offing," he said
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Neither cell phone use nor texting while driving is explicitly banned under Maryland law, even though either could possibly be covered under the state's negligent driving statute. The General Assembly has so far resisted passing legislation addressing cell phones or texting except in the case of novice drivers.
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[Maryland ranks the 8th highest in pedestrian traffic fatalities it's time the General Assembly started to do something about it.]