SITKA — Sitkans appear to be complying with the new law against using handheld cellphones while driving, but some say there’s room for improvement.
Officers have issued only two warnings in the first month since the law went into effect on May 26, which Lt. Lance Ewers sees as an indication of widespread voluntary compliance.
The city ordinance passed by the Assembly in April prohibits the use of handheld phones while driving, but makes an exception for hands-free devices. There are also exemptions for emergency situations, and police and fire personnel.
Ewers said he has noticed a change for the better.
“There seems to be a major difference from what it was,” Ewers said. “We thought we would have more push-back, I thought there would be more warnings issued. That’s a nice thing about Sitka: it’s an example of people in Sitka who want to keep the streets safe.”
When the law went into effect, the police department said they would issue warnings for the first month, then citations after that.
“They were just told to keep their eyes out and educate,” said Ewers.
Resident Alene Henning, who spoke in favor of the new law when it came before the Assembly, said today she is still seeing a lot of violations.
She volunteers at the Salvation Army Little Store at the roundabout and has a front-row seat to the busy intersection. She said she doesn’t have to look for long to see people either on handheld devices, or engaging in some other form of “distracted driving.”
“I think there’s many still not paying attention, including businesses,” she said, referring to commercial vehicles.
“If it is (better), it’s not as good as it could be,” Henning said.
Osborne, who heads the Sitka Community Hospital injury prevention program, agreed, but said he believes there has been a decrease. Osborne led campaign to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving, and lobbied for passage of the ordinance.
He said when SCH conducted an “observational survey” of 265 vehicles in February 2015, 40 drivers were seen on cellphones. In a similar survey this month, the number was down to 10. Osborne said he attributes the drop to the education campaign, and the new ordinance.
“If it was just the education campaign, we wouldn’t have seen such a big drop; if it was just the ordinance, we wouldn’t have seen such a big drop,” he said. “It takes both. And the third piece is enforcement.”
And as a dedicated bicyclist, Osborne said he believes the law has had a positive effect, but added, “I agree with Alene, it could be safer. But it’s much better for both pedestrians and motorists.”
Others who spoke to the Sentinel said they haven’t noticed a big change, but added that they haven’t really been looking.
As a law enforcement officer Ewers is not affected by the law. But the message hit home one day recently when he realized he didn’t have a good reason, in many instances, for claiming a special privilege.
“I was using my phone in the car, and did I feel like an idiot,” he said.
The call was not an emergency or a business call, and he could have waited to take the call at a later time, he said. After that, he decided he will make an effort not to take any more calls, except in cases of emergencies.
“I absolutely will go out of my way to set an example,” he said.
City Administrator Mark Gorman said the new law has changed his behavior.
“I’ve pulled over half a dozen times,” he said. “It made me realize how many calls I get in that short amount of time.”
He was pleased to hear that only a few infractions have been flagged, and that police have seen an improvement.
“People tend to want to do the right thing, when they know what the right thing is,” Gorman said.
He said the city is working with the state on plans to install signs informing the public about the law.
