LIHU‘E — First-term Councilman Derek Kawakami intends to introduce a bill in coming weeks that would make it illegal for Kaua‘i drivers to use handheld electronic devices when behind the wheel.

The bill, which is currently being reviewed by the Office of the County Attorney and could be introduced to the Kaua‘i County Council as soon as next month, is based on similar bans in the City and County of Honolulu and the Big Island, Kawakami said Monday.

Kawakami, who said public safety is his No. 1 priority as an elected official and that he has worked with Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry on the legislation, is the chair of the council’s Public Safety/Energy/Inter-governmental Relations Committee.

For the full story, see Friday’s print edition of The Garden Island. Check back at www.thegardenisland.com again Friday evening for a preview of the local stories set to run in Saturday’s newspaper.