Tulsa city councilors discussed the new measure Wednesday that would forbid any cell phone from being in a driver's hand while in a school or construction zone.
The ordinance is aimed at curbing distracted driving. It's essentially a clone of House Bill 2263 to bring the city in line with new state rules. The bill went into effect as law Nov. 1.
If a driver's phone is mounted on the dashboard or hooked up to a hands-free system in the car, the ordinance doesn't apply.
"You can be on a carplay moment, you can do a voice-activated moment to your handheld device, you just can't have it in your hand," said Councilor Lori Decter Wright at Wednesday's Urban and Economic Development Committee.
The new rule also defines a construction zone as any area with posted signage of construction, even if no workers are present.
According to federal data, distracted driving accounts for about 8% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S.
Tulsa City Council is set to vote on the new ordinance Dec. 10.
