2011-11 Supports Texting while driving ban•
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RESOLUTION NO. 11 -11
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE,
FLORIDA; SUPPORTING THE ADOPTION OF A BAN ON
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHEREAS, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers who use
handheld devices while driving are four times as likely to get into crashes serious
enough to injure themselves or others; and
WHEREAS, those who engage in dangerous highway safety behaviors, such as texting
while driving, fear getting a ticket and fine significantly more than they do being
injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash; and
WHEREAS, the act of composing, sending or reading text messages interrupts drivers'
cognitive attention, causes vision to be directed away from the road, and
compromises manual control of the vehicle;
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Okeechobee, in order to promote highway
safety and reduce injuries or death resulting from dangerous highway safety
behaviors, hereby expresses its support for the adoption by the State of Florida of
a statewide "ban on texting while driving law."
NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved before the City Council for the City of Okeechobee,
Florida; presented at a duly advertised public meeting; and passed by majority vote
of the City Council and properly executed by the Mayor or designee, as Chief
Presiding Officer for the City:
1. That the citizens of the City of Okeechobee, be encouraged to support the
adoption by the State of Florida of a "ban on texting while driving law." Such
a ban would make it unlawful to manually type or enter multiple letters,
numbers, symbols, or other text in a wireless communication device, or send
or read data in the device, for the purpose of non -voice interpersonal
communication, including texting, e- mailing and instant messaging, while
operating a motor vehicle in the travel portion of public streets, roads and
highways.
2. The City Clerk is directed to forward a copy of this resolution, upon adoption,
to the Okeechobee County, Florida, legislative delegation, and members of
the Board of County Commissioners for Okeechobee County, Florida.
3. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
INN RODUCED AND ADOPTED in regular session this
- A
Lane Gamiot= - , CMC, City Clerk
REVIEWED FOR LEGAL SUF IENCY:
John R. Cook, City Attorney
s
ovember 2011.
Resolution No. 11 -11 Page 1 of 1
James . Kirk, Mayor