Local rep explains his stance on override on cellphone while driving ban

Since the start of 2019, talking on the phone while driving or even just having it in your hand while operating a vehicle has been against the city code in Idaho Falls. But people might not have to get used to the law for long. One local lawmaker is trying to change this code, not only in Idaho Falls, but statewide.

“What it’ll do is it will ban cities from adding any cellphone language to the law,” said Chad Christensen, a Republican representative for District 32 House seat B. “With any local laws, it can’t be implemented into law because the state level will prevent that and will not allow these local governments to do that. The basic idea is that it will cancel out the recent handheld cellphone voice used by Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Hailey.”

Christensen says that he was approached by the Idaho Freedom Foundation to sponsor the bill. He agreed with the idea.

“The statute is on the books for inattentive driving,” Christensen said. “We don’t need any more laws to address a specific behavior in a vehicle. I’ve made a statement, too, that it punishes those that have been responsible with their cellphones, like me. I can drive and operate my cellphone without being careless and dangerous. Voice, obviously, not texting. I am not implying that. I can pick up my phone and talk and drive responsibly. I think most Idahoans can.”

He said that the new laws in Idaho Falls and Pocatello can create more hazardous situations.

“The people hide it more now,” Christensen said. “I see people (when) I pull up next to (them) and you’re driving along, then they put down next to their gear shift. They’re just getting sneakier, which to me just causes more problems. Because their eyes are off the road, even more, trying to hide it. People will still use their speakerphone, they’re going to find ways around it. I think it is going to create more problems than it is going to solve.”

He wants to clarify that the draft of the bill does not support texting and driving.

“This isn’t about texting,” Christensen said. “This law won’t change the texting ban.”

He just does not want every behavior to become a law.

“I think the problem opened a can of worms,” Christensen said. “You know, what’s next while you’re driving? You can’t eat a sandwich? You can’t eat your lunch?”