The vote was 20 to 0 in favor of the bill, which will be submitted to the CNMI Legislature for its consideration.
According to the bill, a person “shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless it is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking.”
The bill, authored by Youth Sens. Ashley B. Hofschneider and Jesselyn Boyer Dris, also prohibits persons under the age of 18 to drive using wireless phones even with a hands-free device.
The bill proposes a $20 fine for the first offense and $50 for the succeeding offenses.
The does not apply to persons using hands-free phones as well as those using radio phones with push-to-talk buttons.
It also does not apply to persons making calls for emergency purposes, such as a call for a healthcare provider or to law enforcement agents.
“The Youth Congress finds…that there is a growing public concern regarding the safety implications of the widespread practice of using hand-held wireless telephones while operating motor vehicles…. Texting while driving is distracting, dangerous and often deadly…. An estimated over 30 percent of vehicle crashes in the U.S involve driver distractions such as the use of hand-held wireless telephones,” the bill stated.
The five youth senators who were not able to attend the session on Saturday were Jessamin Santos, Blaren Castro, Yuri Romolor, Shelane Borja and Amanda Johnson.
