Arlington Moves To Ban Texting While Driving

ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Most cities in North Texas have banned cell phone use in school zones, but now Arlington looks set to be the first city to ban texting while driving. The Arlington City Council moved forward with the plan on Tuesday night, passing the proposal on a first vote of 4 to 3.

Under the proposed plan, drivers who are caught texting or sending email within the city limits would be fined $200.

Arlington residents packed the city council meeting on Tuesday night to debate the issue.

Some residents aruged that the ban would keep drivers safe. "Distracted driving is the number one cause of accidents, and cell phones are the number one driving distraction. We ban cell phones in our school zones to protect children, but adults are not expendable either."

Other residents feel like the ban is a violation of their rights. "You already have distracted driving ordinances that allow the police to pull you over if you're driving unsafely. I don't know what you're accomplishing. I don't know why you're doing this. I wish you all would take care of basic services and leave people like me alone."

A final vote on the proposal is scheduled for next month.