Res 26-13RESOLUTION NO. 26-13
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COIAI1 IISSION OF THE CITY
OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA SUPPORTING A BAN ON
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHEREAS, according to the insurance institute for highway safety, drivers who use
handheld devices while driving are four times as likely to be involved in crashes serious enough to
injure themselves or others; and
WHEREAS, those who engage in dangerous highway safety behaviors, such as texting
while dtiving, fear receiving a ticket and fines significantly more than they do being injured or killed
in a motor vehicle crash; and
WHEREAS, the act of composing, sending or reading text messages interrupts drivers'
cognitive attention, causes vision to be directed away from the road, and compromises manual
control of the vehicle; and
WHEREAS, the City of Delray Beach, in order to promote highway safety and reduce
injuries or death resulting from dangerous highway safety behaviors, hereby expresses its support for
the adoption by the State of Florida. of a Statewide ban on texting while driving law.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are hereby affirmed and ratified.
Section 2. The City of Delray Beach hereby supports the adoption by the State of Florida of
a ban of texting while driving law. Such ban would make it unlawful to manually type words,
multiple letters, common numbers, common symbols, or other text in a wireless communication
device, or send or read data in the device for the purpose of non -voice interpersonal
communication, including texting, mailing and messaging while operating a motor vehicle in the
travel portion of public streets, roads, and highways.
Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to forward a copy of this Resolution, upon adoption, to
the Palm Beach County, Florida legislative delegation as well as to the elected municipal and county
officials in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Coversheet
RL
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM: Louie Chapman, Jr., City Manager
DATE: April 24, 2013
SUBJECT: AGENDA ITEM 8.L. - REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING OF MAY 712013
RESOLUTION NO. 26-13
ITEM BEFORE COMMISSION
Page 1 of 1
This item is before Commission to approve Resolution No. 26 -13 in support of a Statewide ban on
texting while driving.
BACKGROUND
The City's support of modifying traffic statutes to include texting while driving as an element of
careless driving is included in the City's 2013 Legislative Priorities.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve Resolution No. 26-13.
http:// itwebapp/ AgendaIntranet /Bluesheet.aspx ?ItemID =6721 &MeetingID =447 5/23/2013
RESOLUTION NO. 26 -13
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA SUPPORTING A BAN ON
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHEREAS, according to the insurance institute for highway safety, drivers who use
handheld devices while driving are four times as likely to be involved in crashes serious enough to
injure themselves or others; and
WHEREAS, those who engage in dangerous highway safety behaviors, such as texting
while driving, fear receiving a ticket and fines significantly more than they do being injured or killed
in a motor vehicle crash; and
WHEREAS, the act of composing, sending or reading text messages interrupts drivers'
cognitive attention, causes vision to be directed away from the road, and compromises manual
control of the vehicle; and
WHEREAS, the City of Delray Beach, in order to promote highway safety and reduce
injuries or death resulting from dangerous highway safety behaviors, hereby expresses its support for
the adoption by the State of Florida of a Statewide ban on texting while driving law.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are hereby affirmed and ratified.
Section 2. The City of Delray Beach hereby supports the adoption by the State of Florida of
a ban of texting while driving law. Such ban would make it unlawful to manually type words,
multiple letters, common numbers, common symbols, or other text in a wireless communication
device, or send or read data in the device for the purpose of non -voice interpersonal
communication, including texting, mailing and messaging while operating a motor vehicle in the
travel portion of public streets, roads, and highways.
Section 3. The City Clerk is directed to forward a copy of this Resolution, upon adoption, to
the Palm Beach County, Florida legislative delegation as well as to the elected municipal and county
officials in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED in regular session on this the 7 I day of May, 2013.
MAYOR
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Res No. 26 -13