MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – It would be against the law for drivers to use hand held cell phones in construction zones, under a Wisconsin bill that got a public hearing Thursday.
The Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony on the measure, which panel chairman Jerry Petrowski is trying to pass for the second time in two years.
The bill would prohibit hand held cell usage in zones where highway workers are present. Hands free devices would be okay, and hand held units could still be used for reporting emergencies.
Petrowski admits the bill would be hard to enforce, but it would reinforce the idea that people should pay attention to the road and not what their hands are holding. The Marathon County highway commissioner asked Petrowski to pass such a bill in the last session.
Thursday, Jim Griesbach testified that one highway worker was killed and a few others were seriously hurt over the years by vehicles speeding through road work. The DOT said 83 people died in traffic accidents in Wisconsin road construction zones from 2006 through 2013.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
