Don’t ban cell use while driving- issue permits for the privilege
The way I read the political winds, it doesn’t seem a cell phone tax on Portland cell subscribers is going to pass any time soon.
Neither will restrictions on cell phone use while driving-despite all the stats that note how distracting and dangerous it is. Even hands-free.
But the city of Portland, and surrounding jurisdictions, need the money. So what do you think of this idea:
Grant licenses to motorists who wish to use their cell while driving. You gotta have a clean record.
Maybe $25 a year for a regular cell, $15 a year for a hands-free. Maybe work with insurance companies to get that money knocked off premiums. So this way, the good drivers are not penalized.
If you get caught talking while driving and don’t have a permit to do so, you get hit at a rate comparable to a speeding ticket.
Put the proceeds in a pool and fund emergency responder services- who get their share of calls to go to accident scenes caused by distracted drivers.
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As a funding source, something like this would cost more to implement than it would create. Plus, I find the idea of cell phone in car permits to be pretty silly.