Distracted driving news: A hands-free law went into full effect in Virginia on Jan. 1, 2021. Virginia lawmakers approved the distracted driving bill with clear majorities and the governor has championed the new law. Fines are $125 for the first offense and then $250. There is a mandatory fine of $250 for violations in work zones. The DMV reports 1,907 convictions under the hands free law as of mid-summer 2021. State police report say they handed out more than 742 citations. Richmond's handheld cell phone went into full effect June 9, 2020. "It’s just not acceptable to use a cell phone … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2009
NSC talks tough on cell phone bans
January 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The National Safety Council wants a total ban on cell phone use while driving, regardless of whether a hands-free accessory is in the loop. The 94-year-old safety group made national headlines in mid-January with its cell phone-ban initiative, which recommends laws that are more restrictive than almost all of those under consideration or adopted by the states. Almost all legislation allows for hands-free cell phone use. "It's time to take the cell phone away," NSC president Janet Froetscher said. The NSC plans to lobby the individual states as well as private businesses. It has sent letters … [Read more...]
Wyoming: Cell phone & texting laws, bills
January 5, 2009 by 2 Comments
Distracted driving news: State Rep. Hans Hunt's plan to imprison drivers who kill while distracted by texting has been soundly rejected by the House. The 2018 measure would have provided for aggravated-homicide prosecution if a driver is texting while causing a fatality. The mid-February vote was 19-40. The city of Powell's ban on handheld cell phone use while driving went into effect in January 2018. Six months into enforcement, no tickets had been written, although police said "a lot of warnings" were handed out. The Powell Tribune said 24 warnings had been recorded by midyear. The local … [Read more...]
Texting, California driving don’t mix
January 2, 2009 by 1 Comment
California's text-messaging law went into effect on Jan. 1, making it illegal for drivers to use wireless devices to send, receive or read electronic files while on the road. The new law joins two other laws affecting drivers that took effect in midsummer: a ban on the use of cell phones unless a hands-free device is enabled, and a total ban on cell phone use by motorists under 18. (Update): In the first month, the Highway Patrol wrote 88 citations for text messaging statewide. That does not include tickets from deputies and police. Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, pushed through the … [Read more...]
Cell phone safety: Bet you didn’t know …
January 1, 2009 by 4 Comments
Cell phone safety would seem largely a matter of common sense. Pay attention, watch the road and you’ll arrive safely. But researchers who have been studying cell phone-related accidents since the 1990s say there are some surprising ways in which wireless phones endanger drivers, passengers and pedestrians. For example, the simple act of talking on a cell phone actually decreases the quality of visual information received and processed by the brain. Talk more and you see less! State legislators are increasingly mandating hands-free cell phone use for drivers. Hands-free devices such as … [Read more...]
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