Cell ban nearing penalty phase
Distracted drivers in Sugar Land get warning, for now
On a recent weekend morning, Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman followed his usual routine, picking up kolaches for his wife.
But when Zimmerman pulled out of his subdivision, he encountered a problem the city is trying urgently to address: a fellow driver, poorly maneuvering a Mercedes SUV, was preoccupied on a phone.
Sugar Land council members voted in February to enact the law that bans use of handheld electronic devices, except when a vehicle is stopped. City leaders said they weren’t willing to wait to see whether state legislators would take on the topic — especially since they have voted against such measures in the past.
Halfway through the city’s 90-day warning period before fines of up to $500, illegal cellphone use has far from ceased among motorists. But many, including the mayor, who juggles two cellphones and three email accounts, say it has helped eliminate personal temptation as they navigate through the suburb.
“We’re interested in the absolute of protecting the public,” he said.
The debate at the state house has in prior years been an emotional one, pitting family members who have lost loved ones against legislators who believe such a bill amounts to micromanaging adult behavior. But in Sugar Land, the city leaders strive to be proactive and didn’t think of the issue along political lines, Zimmerman said.
The city also is not alone in forging ahead without the state. In putting its policy in place, Sugar Land joined the cities such as Austin and the Dallasarea suburb of Denton, which have similar rules. Smaller cities in Harris County, including the upscale communities of West University and Bellaire, also have cellphone ordinances in place.
Even those Sugar Land residents who have already been issued warnings — more than 115 so far — concede it’s a bad habit, according to police.
“Everybody knows it’s dangerous but they still do it,” Assistant Police Chief Scott Schultz said. “When you talk to them about it, they agree with you that it’s dangerous.” On councilman’s radar
A straight shot from Houston on the Southwest Freeway or U.S. 90A, Sugar Land endeavors to exist as a city in its own right. It has attracted branches of major medical institutions, as well as businesses including oil field services company Schlumberger.
With more than an estimated 87,000 residents, it is the most populous city in Fort Bend County, complete with manicured medians and a quaint town square designed as a gathering place for its diverse community. The number of people there on a given weekday can be well beyond that.
The idea for such a local policy most recently surfaced in 2015, at a retreat city leaders take to discuss ideas. Several council workshops followed.
It was an issue that has been on the radar of at least one council member, Harish Jajoo, in the years before that, as he watched a state bill fail to make it through. He knew that even if the state couldn’t pass such measures, he could at least make his message heard at the local level.
“It’s a safety issue,” Jajoo said. “You’re not only putting your life in danger, but you’re putting my life in danger if I’m driving around you.”
Schultz took the lead in researching the matter. He looked at policies in Austin and Denton to craft one for Sugar Land, which is also known for its red light cameras. Though neighboring Missouri City has a no-text ban, public input steered them toward a ban on any use of a handheld device, talking included.
The rule passed with a 5-2 vote Feb. 21. One dissenter, Amy Mitchell, said she thought the issue belonged with the state. “To me, this somehow seems premature,” she said at a meeting Feb. 7.
The other, Mary Joyce, didn’t believe it got at the true issue of all technology as being essentially distracting, even the socalled solution of built-in car screens. “What are we doing to get ahead of the curve?” she asked.
Neither was available Friday for comment, a council staff member said. Fines begin June 20
In all, more than 90 cities across the state have handheld phone policies in place, while a statewide bill, which passed out of the House in March, remains up for consideration in the Senate.
Long-term effects of the Sugar Land policy remain to be seen. Early one morning, it took hardly a minute before several drivers could be spotted whizzing down Highway 6 with phones in hand or held to their ears.
Police officers aren’t necessarily sitting in wait to catch the crime, but several warnings were issued one after the other along the same roadway, police department data shows.
In Austin, police issued more than 5,000 tickets in 2015, the year after the law took effect, said Sgt. Michael Barger. The number was similar the year after, though Barger said enforcement also increased.
Enforcement tactics in Austin are varied. Sometimes, officers ride on a bus and radio patrol units when they see offenders. Still, first-time violators can opt to buy a handsfree device rather than pay a $220 fine.
“If you’re able to save one person’s life,” Barger said, “then that’s what it’s all about.”
The Denton law takes effect June 1, police spokesman Shane Kizer said. Police there were all too aware of the tragedy that driving with cellphones can cause and supported the measure as means for change. “We’re hopeful,” Kizer said.
On a recent weekend, Sugar Land hosted an event for residents to set up their Bluetooth ahead of June 20, when fines will begin. Several there expressed support of the measure, including Phyllis Parker.
“It even makes you more alert,” said Parker, who works in real estate in Sugar Land. “It makes you so much more responsible.”
Nearby, Classic Chevrolet Sugar Land employee Thurman Ivory walked with Lynnette Mazur to her red Cadillac. He showed her how to work the Bluetooth system.
Trained as a pediatrician, Mazur said she had seen the effects of crashes on children. She had set up her Bluetooth before but it had been disconnected.
“It’s so easy!” she exclaimed after Ivory set it up.
“Think you can make it now from here?” he asked.
“I think I can,” she replied.