amd as reported by the Arizona Daily Star
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/283085.php
Fort gets tough on use of car phones
By Carol Ann Alaimo
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.06.2009
advertisementAfter years of warnings, Fort Huachuca is getting tougher on drivers who chat on hand-held cell phones on Army property.
Starting Monday, motorists on the military installation will face penalties of $75 per violation — a $50 fine plus a $25 court administrative fee.
The fine also applies to drivers who use BlackBerry devices behind the wheel. It does not apply to hands-free phone use.
Local Army leaders “believe using the cell phone is a distraction, and we feel we will get people’s attention a little bit more with the fine,” said Tanja Linton, a spokeswoman for the Army post, about 75 miles southeast of Tucson.
The use of hand-held cell phones while driving has been banned at Fort Huachuca since 2005. The following year, the Defense Department instituted a ban at all military bases but left punishments up to the discretion of local commanders.
Until now, Fort Huachuca has been letting motorists go with warnings, Linton said.
But fort safety officials recently noticed that “some of the biggest abusers” involved motorists chatting on cell phones while driving through school zones on post, Linton said.
When a safety official announced the new fines at a recent parents meeting, “People actually stood up and applauded,” she said.
The ban applies to all motorists on the installation, not just military personnel.
In the civilian world, only a handful of states ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. Arizona isn’t among them.
Tucson’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base also took steps recently to increase the penalty for talking and driving. As of Jan. 1, those caught in the act at D-M are banned from driving on base for one week.
Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at 573-4138 or at calaimo@azstarnet.com.