Hang-up ahead for county workers?

Salt Lake County employees may soon be told not to mix cell phones and driving.

Mayor Peter Corroon is proposing a policy that prohibits county employees from "operating a vehicle while using a cellular phone or other wireless communication device while on county time," with certain exceptions. Law enforcement officers, for example, could still use their radios.

"We really don't want people using their cell phones while they're driving," Corroon said.

Drivers in England are fined up to $1,600 for talking and driving. Sandy and American Fork have both passed "inattentive driving" ordinances that make talking on a cell phone, putting on makeup, eating or the like a secondary moving violation. Several states are considering banning cell-phone use while driving, and there have been various calls for Utah to follow their lead.

Some private companies have adopted policies that prohibit "phone driving" on company time.

"It's really a liability issue," Corroon said. "If (employees) get a call they should pull over to the side of the road."

University of Utah researcher David Strayer has concluded that young drivers have the reaction times of senior citizens when they drive while talking on the phone.

Nevertheless, some county officials are hesitant. Some County Council members, for example — most of them heavy cell-phone users — say the policy could be overreaching and, as a practical matter, difficult to enforce.

"I'm not opposed to passing stuff that's probably symbolic in nature, but I don't know if we could enforce this to any degree," Councilman Joe Hatch said.

Other council members disagree on how effective it would be to limit calls on hand-held cell phones while allowing hands-free operation, particularly in light of research that concludes it really doesn't make any difference — any type of cell-phone conversation is distracting.

"It's where the mind is, not where the hand is," Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said.

Corroon said he didn't base the proposal on any hard evidence but simply a feeling that county employees should be setting an example of responsible driving as well as doing everything they can to avoid accidents. Given the policy's lukewarm reception, however, he said he plans to tinker with the policy to tighten it up.

"We'll review it and come back," he said.

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