Index: Cell phone laws, legislation by state
June 30, 2008
See what your state’s cell phone and texting laws for drivers require — or are about to require. The majority of U.S. states have restrictions on drivers’ use of cell phones and text messaging devices, or are wrangling with various plans to limit their use.
Text messaging while driving legislation has been quite successful since 2009, as law officers increasingly encounter accidents caused by young people who were busy texting.
View distracted driving laws and legislation by state:
Alabama – Alaska – Arizona – Arkansas – California – Colorado
Connecticut – Delaware – District of Columbia – Florida – Georgia – Hawaii
Idaho – Illinois – Indiana – Iowa – Kansas – Kentucky – Louisiana – Maine
Maryland – Massachusetts – Michigan – Minnesota – Mississippi – Missouri
Montana – Nebraska – Nevada – New Hampshire – New Jersey – New Mexico
New York – New York cities, counties – North Carolina – North Dakota
Ohio – Oklahoma – Oregon – Pennsylvania – Rhode Island – South Carolina
South Dakota – Tennessee – Texas – Utah – Vermont – Virginia
State of Washington – West Virginia – Wisconsin – Wyoming
Minnesota: Cell phone laws, legislation
June 24, 2008
Distracted driving law update: No distracted driving legislation found success in 2010. The Legislature returns Jan. 4.
Minnesota police planned a statewide distracted driving crackdown for the second anniversary of the texting and driving ban’s enactment. The primary enforcement day is Aug. 5, 2010.
Current prohibitions:
- Text messaging oulawed for all drivers.
- Drivers under the age of 18 with learner’s permits or intermediate licenses are prohibited from using cell phones while driving.
2010 legislation:
HB 2351: Would prohibit the use of cell phones while driving unless a hands-free accessory is utilized. Specifies without the use of either hand. (Masin)
HB 1339: Would outlaw use of handheld cell phones by drivers. School bus drivers and those with instruction permits not allowed to use cell phones at all. Companion to SB 593, below. (Ruud)
SB 593: Seeks to outlaw use of cell phones by drivers, unless a hands-free device is employed. Bans all cell phone use by drivers with instruction permits. Would outlaw use of cell phones by school bus drivers. Companion to HB 1339, above. Approved by the Senate Transportation Committee on March 11 and advanced to a second reading.(Bonoff)
Legislation notes:
Between 2006 and 2008, there were 60,000 accidents in Minnesota blamed on distracted driving. About 200 lives were lost. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says distracted driving kills 70 people a year and injures another 350.
The House and Senate transportation committees on March 3 held a joint hearing on cell phone use by drivers. Dave Teater of the National Safety Council and the activist group Focus Driven told how his son was killed by a driver chatting on a mobile phone. Opposing a ban on handheld cell phone use by adults were Verizon Wireless and AT&T. The Verizon spokesman suggested that drivers “if possible suspend the call in heavy traffic.”
No new distracted driving laws have been filed since late 2009.
Rep. Sandra Masin, D-Eagan, is the chief author of HB 2351.
Mike Jaros, D-Deluth, has sought a complete ban on drivers using cell phones. His stepson was in a vehicle that was rammed by a cell-phoning driver, but survived.
Katherine Burke Moore, deputy director of the Office of Traffic Safety, told the Star Tribune: “We forget that driving is already a multi-tasking activity. Even when we do it every day, we’re checking mirrors, scanning around the car, and watching for brake lights. Any other distraction is unsafe.”
The Department of Public Safety and AAA (Minnesota/Iowa) are running a competition in which teenagers make television PSAs that educate viewers about the dangers of texting while driving. The spots must be 30 seconds long and entered by April 19, 2010. Prizes of up to $1,000. Learn more about the text-messaging ad competition.
After New Jersey and Washington state, Minnesota was the third state to approve the text-messaging restriction. The anti-texting law went into effect Aug. 1, 2008. A violation is a petty misdemeanor.