Connecticut: Cell phone laws, legislation

Texting, cell phone news: Gov. M. Jodie Rell has signed into law a plan to toughen existing distracted driving laws. It increases fines to $100/$150/$200 instead of the current $100 (with possible forgiveness for first-time offenders).

Current prohibitions:

• Texting outlawed for all drivers. Fines $100, then $150 and $200.
• Adult drivers (18 and older) must use hands-free devices while talking on cell phones or using a “mobile electronic device.” Fines for handheld cell phone use $100/$150/$200.
• Minors are prohibited from using wireless phones or other mobile electronic device while driving — with or without hands-free devices.
• School bus operators prohibited from using cell phones while driving.
• Use of video game players and DVD players banned for drivers.

2010 legislation:
SB 427: Seeks to eliminate the state’s 2005 cell phone law’s one-time forgiveness policy for violators who then buy hands-free accessories. Mandates first-offense tickets of $100, then $150 and $200. Wording specifically bans text messaging while driving. Allocates 25 percent of fine money to municipalities. Approved by the full Senate on May 3 (in a 32-1 vote) and then by the House on May 5. Signed into law by the governor on June 3. (Transportation Committee)

Senate Bill 35: Gov. M. Jodie Rell has submitted distracted driving legislation that would toughen the existing law against driving while using a handheld cell phone. Rell seeks to eliminate the 2005 law’s one-time forgiveness policy for violators who then buy hands-free accessories such as Bluetooth headsets. Instead of the current $100 fine (subject to forgiveness), there would be a straight $50 fine until October 2011, and then a $100 fine. Fines of $500 would apply when accidents are caused by drivers using handheld cell phones or texting devices. Set aside in favor of the similar SB 427 (above), which cleared the legislature on May 5. (“Governor’s Bill”)

2010 legislation notes
Gov. Jodi Rell said as she signed SB 427 into law: “Five years ago, Connecticut became one of the first states in the nation to fight back against these totally preventable crashes. Now it is time to bolster that law. Frankly, after five years it is time to eliminate that ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ provision.”

Connecticut had 41,000 cellphone violations in 2008 and a similar number in 2009. 14,500 distracted drivers got off with a warning in 2008.

A distracted driving sweep in New Hartford yielded 129 tickets, most of them for talking on cell phones while driving. The citations were written July 24-27. The National Highway Safety Administration funded the crackdown, as it did in Syracuse, N.Y.

2009 legislation
HB 6060: Would prohibit text messaging by all drivers.

HB 5123: Would increase fines for handheld cell phone use by drivers in Connecticut from $100 to $150.

HB 6066: Would increase fines for handheld cell phone use by drivers from $100 to $200.

HB 6410: Would allow members of armed forces to use handheld cell phones while driving if on duty. Approved by House on April 29, 2009.

HB 6059: Seeks additional fines of $500 for causing an accident while on a handheld cell phone. If accident results in a death, $500 plus one-year suspension of driver’s license.

Legislation notes:
Connecticut’s prohibitions on handheld cell phones were enacted in October 2005 via HB 6722.