The City Council created an initiative at its Oct. 26, 2009, meeting to develop an Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee on Distracted Driving Prevention.  The Council has become aware that individuals who are distracted while driving by the use of cellular phones and other electronic devices are causing accidents and other problems in City traffic.  BMCC Sec. 2-224 provides for the creation of an Ad-Hoc Council Advisory Committee to address such issues.

Proposed in the attached resolution is a committee that would plan a coordinated awareness campaign on the issue of distracted driving and an accompanying ordinance, including penalties, and an enforcement strategy to deal with the problem.  The proposed committee would consist of two Council members, one who would serve as the advisory committee's chair; one member from the auto insurance industry; one member of the cellular telephone industry; one member from Riverstone Health; one staff member and one student member each from School District #2 and MSU-Billings or the College of Technology; and two members of the public.  The City Administrator would assign staff from the Police and City Attorney's offices to assist in preparing the ordinance. 

It is contemplated that ad-hoc advisory committee members would be recruited in November, appointed in December and begin meeting in January 2010.  The resolution calls for the committee to complete its work by March 22, 2010.

The City Council may:

• Approve the resolution creating the Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee on Distracted Driving Prevention;
• Modify the resolution; or
• Not approve the resolution.

There are no costs attached to the creation of the committee.  There may be future additional expenses and revenues as a result of enforcing any resulting ordinance.

Staff recommends that the Council approve the resolution as presented.