North Carolina is working on a "Distracted Driving" Bill

NC Senator Jeff Tarte of Mecklenburg County has sponsored S-393 which, in its present form, would severely restrict the use of a handheld device, AND without saying so, the use of a hand mike. I learned this thru the local news last week. I spoke with his office in Raleigh, and I have been assured by his secretary that there will be revision providing an exemption to licensed two way radio users! Apparently others have already advised his office that the way it is now written, S-393 could possible cause lawsuits and actions in Federal Court. So this pending revision, if I am being told truthfully, is good news.

Also in January, I wrote a Mr Scott Stone of the Wireless /Licensing Bureau asking for a Declaratory Ruling that would clarify current FCC regulations, and, if necessary, provide a Federal exemption for amateurs, CB operators, and commercial licensees. Perhaps it is so that any exemption would only apply to Part 97, and other users *may* have to apply under their sections and Parts of Title 47. Thus far I haven't received any response from Mr. Stone. I am about re-submit the letter.

At least, here's one more state that is responding to common sense and advice of the amateur community.

 

I heard other states enacting this type of new law, have had to revise it to accommodate hams. Although an exemption would surely be added after passing, this bill could conceivably prevent ARES support and emergency communication for a while, if not done right the first time. NC hams should have already contacted their representatives about this or do so now.

 

Am I missing something?

https://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2017&BillID=393

"Bill S-393 Not Found
2017-2018 Session
There is no bill S-393 from the 2017-2018 Session. Please ensure you have chosen the correct session in which to search and that you have entered the correct bill number in the appropriate format."

 

Perhaps,.......................... thats because.................................. this "news" is three years old.

 

https://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2015/Bills/Senate/HTML/S393v1.html

 

The Brian Garlock Act (bill) is referred to committee I believe. A cursory Google search shows hams issued tickets due to law enforcement misunderstanding states distracted driving laws. Was that a cq or an emergency while at the stoplight, hi hi.

 

Thankyou. That is what I thought. I spend about half my time at my QTH in NC. It has not come up at our club in a long long time.

 

Be careful. The boneheads in Virginia were going to pass a similar law with an exemption for CB'ers but NOT for hams. The bill was rescinded.

 

Oregon turds did the same thing, they exempted cb'rs but not hams.

To get around this some hams who exclusively use 2/440 are now installing cb radios but it still doesn't help when OSP stops a vehicle for no other reason except for having antennas on their vehicle.

 

Probably not. In an actual emergency, I'm sure the conditions would be considered before being cited. I'd wager most cops are reasonable people. Not that it really matters, I'd take a ticket if it meant saving a life.

I'm in Oregon, do you mean HB2597? Licensed ops are exempt. (source)

That sounds like an urban legend.


Our focus should be on that 2000lb+ killing machine we're driving instead of playing with the radio anyway. Checking in to the net ain't worth the risk (or much else usually.)

 

California has basically made mobile ham radio illegal unless you are parked. No ham radio exemption. No hands free exemption.

 

It's Kalifornia. No suprise here.

 

I just checked in short time. How could that be distracting? (typed in my special sarcasm font that not many amateur radio operators seem to have installed on the computers.)

 

Why should there be an exemption for Hams? You are just as deadly as a cell phone user.

 

I don't understand .... if I take me handheld radio, plug a power cord from it into the cigarette lighter socket and a coax run to the magmount on top, then hold my radio in my left hand, tune it and/or adjust volume with my right hand, and hold it in front of my face so I can talk on it while driving down the interstate at 70+mph what could possibly go wrong? (Tongue in cheek!)