Published: October 19, 2009 11:31 am      

10/18 Editorial: Signs are up; put down the cell phone

Maria Shriver, wife of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, made the news recently by driving through a school zone while yakking on her cell phone, which is outlawed in her state.

The embarrassment of the governor’s wife breaking the law cost her some bad publicity, an apology and her old cell phone, which she said she would donate to a domestic violence center.

You probably won’t get off that lightly.

The state Legislature passed a law banning cell phone use in school zones provided that each city post signs to that effect.

The Cleburne City Council decided to install the signs, and they are now up, which means you need to hang up that phone when you hit a school zone.

Although once the evidence was slim that cell phone use while driving was not a problem, the evidence is mounting that cell phones are a distraction that can lead to an accident.

If you’ve ever driven behind someone on a cell phone and been exasperated because the driver speeds up and slows down repeatedly, you know the rhythms of the conversation are creating the problem.

And almost everyone has a story about being hit or almost run over by a distracted driver on a cell phone.

The last place we where we would not want distracted drivers is in the area where children are most likely to also not be paying attention.

So, be aware. The signs are not easily visible because they are posted at the bottom of the school zone markers. Assume if you’re in a school zone, you’re not supposed to be using your cell phone and pull over or hang up.

Failure to follow these instructions could result in a $200 fine, and your friendly local patrol officer probably won’t respond well to “I didn’t see the sign.”

The law does contain an exception for hands-free devices, but recognize that if you’re in a heated conversation, using a Bluetooth headset is not helping you keep your attention on the road where it belongs.

The purpose is to protect the health and lives of our most precious asset, so go beyond the letter of the law to its spirit and make sure your entire focus is where it belongs when you’re driving at any time, especially in school zones.

A note to the city: Please consider making the signs more conspicuous. Every effort should be made to make drivers aware of this new responsibility, and making the signs more visible will certainly help.



This editorial is the opinion of the Cleburne Times-Review.