No Citations Issued After Cell Phone Ban

After the city of Powell last year rolled out its ban on using handheld devices while driving, not one citation was issued for that offense.

According to an article in the Powell Tribune, 50 warnings were issued last year for using a handheld device while operating a motor vehicle, but no citations. Police Chief Roy Eckerdt told the City Council that the low numbers were due in part to fewer staff on the police force, which meant that the officers on duty made pulling drivers over for being on their phones a lower priority.

However, Eckerdt believes the ordinance has made a difference in drivers’ behavior, based on conversations he has had with his officers, and with residents who have made a conscious effort not to use their phones while driving in Powell.

Texting while driving has been illegal in Wyoming since 2010, but last year Powell’s City Council made the decision to bar drivers from using any sort of handheld device. A violation of the ordinance carries a $35-dollar penalty in municipal court.