Allentown Cell Phone Ordinance Overturned
As an accidental death lawyer, I am concerned about the current lack of distracted driving laws in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania currently does not have a distracted driving law that prohibits texting while driving or any other form of cell phone use while driving.
Some municipalities had enacted ordinances to deal with the problem. Allentown and Bethlehem were two of those municipalities. However, recently a Lehigh County judge struck down the ordinance and found that only the state has the authority to make such a law. Since part of Bethlehem also resides in Lehigh County, city attorneys for the city of Bethlehem have advised the police to stop issuing tickets for violating the cell phone ordinance in that municipality as well.
Will 2011 be the year that legislation is finally passed at the state level, as it has been in the majority of other states? We will continue to watch and report on any developments.
