Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: NEWS

Media Credit: Kyle Phillips Photo Illustration

The Denton City Council has begun the process of creating an ordinance to ban cell phone usage in school zones.

The council should vote on the issue by next month, and, if approved, it will be in effect by the beginning of the next academic school year, City Councilwoman Charlye Heggins said.

The ban would apply to school zones during hours of operation, she said.

Sharon Cox, spokeswoman for the Denton Independent School District, said the ban would affect about 20 area school campuses.

"We're not trying to ban cell phone usage all over the city," Heggins said. "We're trying to protect our students. You can never tell when a student is going to run out in the street. We're taking preventive measures."

Heggins brought the issue to the Council about a month ago, she said, after talking with a mother in her district whose son had been hit by a car. The driver was talking on a cell phone, Heggins said.

"These are the kinds of incidents we're trying to prevent from happening," she said.

Heggins said she understands firsthand how distracting cell phones can be. It doesn't matter if the cell phone is hand-held or hands-free; drivers are still distracted, she said. She has missed exits while speaking on her cell phone while driving before.

"I was hands-free and I went right by my stop," she said. "I was distracted. I was totally distracted."

City Councilman Jack Thomson said he is in favor of any way to make school zones safer.

School safety is one of the top priorities and concerns for the Denton ISD, Cox said.

Thomson said there is a consensus on the council to move the ban forward.

There would be exemptions to the rules, he said. The ban, for example, would not apply to emergency vehicles.

If approved, signs will be posted in school zones prohibiting cell phone use, Heggins said.

She said many cities and municipalities across the country have begun to ban cell phones in school zones.

"We want to protect out students," she said. "That's what it's all about, not to emulate other cities. We're trying to be proactive, not reactive. Accidents can happen."

Heggins said when the signs are posted, she hopes people will abide by the ban.

"We're hoping we never catch anybody," she said.

Both Heggins and Thomson said this ban is not about the possible money from police-issued citations.

"It's not that the city of Denton wants to get more money," Thomson said. "It's a matter of safety."

Heggins said it's about protecting the city's greatest commodity - the children.

This ban is about protecting residents and not about targeting cell phone users, she said.

"We don't single out one particular group," she said. "Everyone's a texter. We're not targeting a certain group. It's the whole city; that includes me."

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