The City of Kenosha now has a ban on text messaging while driving. The Common Council voted 12-to-2 for the ordinance. Alderman David Bogdala called it a tough decision. "If you are dumb enough to be texting on the phone, and you get into an accident, you should be punished, and you should be punished severely," Bogdala said. The fine is $150, but $500 if the texter is involved in an accident. "I think it should be higher," said Bogdala. Alderman David Prozansky, who's a high school teacher, said it's about public safety. "Teenagers are text messaging at a rate that most adults, unless you're with teenagers every day, cannot even comprehend," said Prozansky. "In class, in between class, at home, in their cars."
The ordinance was sponsored by two aldermen who are also high school teachers. Alderman Michael Orth said most communities with a test messaging ban while driving experienced a tragedy. "We don't want that tragedy here in Kenosha, and if we can prevent it, then we need to do our best to prevent it," said Orth, adding that traffic safety is among the top complaints he receives as a new alderman. "People are driving too fast, people are driving inattentively," Orth said. Kenosha's police chief says he's working on the enforcement aspect of the new ordinance