Cell phone, text messaging news: Honolulu has barred pedestrians from viewing handheld (or portable) mobile devices while crossing a street. Fines: $15 to $99 depending on number of previous infractions. The City Council vote was 7-2 and the mayor signed off on the ordinance in late July 2017. There were 114 convictions between October 2017, when the law took effect, and July 2018. "Sometimes I wish there were laws we did not have to pass -- that perhaps common sense would prevail," Mayor Kirk Caldwell said. "But sometimes we lack common sense." Officials cited the rising number of accidents … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2008
Michigan: Cell phone & texting laws, bills
December 4, 2008 by 35 Comments
Distracted driving news: A handheld cell phone ban for drivers took effect June 30, 2023. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed off on the three-bill distracted driving package June 7, as expected. The new law amends and expands state texting & driving regulations. Primary enforcement with fines from $100 to $250, plus possible points and community service. Law officers wrote 887 citations in the first six months, plus a similar number of warnings. "As a mom," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has long supported an upgrade in the distracted driving laws. HB 4252 sponsor state Rep. Mike Mueller has said: "What … [Read more...]
U.S. cell phone, texting laws at a glance
December 3, 2008 by 22 Comments
An up-to-date listing of cell phone and texting restrictions across the States. Click on the state's name to view a full report on its distracted driving laws and pending legislation. Alabama: Handheld cell phone use and text messaging while driving illegal for anyone driving in the state of Alabama. Secondary enforcement. Alaska: Drivers are banned from text-messaging or watching videos. Arizona: Handheld cell phone use barred. School bus operators prohibited from using cell phones while driving. Arkansas: All drivers prohibited from text messaging. Drivers under 18 may not use … [Read more...]
Florida: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 3, 2008 by 65 Comments
Distracted driving news: State Sen. Erin Grall seeks to expand the state's texing and driving prohibitions to include most uses of handheld devices such as cell phones. Fines would begin at $150 and 3 points vs. the driver's license, with the option for traffic school. The 2026 legislation is SB 1152. Florida motorists may no longer hold their cell phones when traveling through school and work zones. Fines: $60 plus fees and three points vs. the driver's license. As with the texting & driving law, enforcement is primary, meaning offenders are subject to being pulled over and cited … [Read more...]
Drivers better off talking to passengers
December 2, 2008 by Leave a Comment
Cell phone calls are far more distracting to drivers than chats with their passengers, a new study finds. The results apply to hand-held phones as well as those equipped with hands-free devices such as wireless headphones. Researchers at the University of Utah examined the simulated driving patterns of 41 adults and their passenger friends, concluding that "the difference between a cell phone conversation and passenger conversation is due to the fact that the passenger is in the vehicle and knows what the traffic conditions are like, and they help the driver." Most of the study subjects were … [Read more...]
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