A busy legislative season yielded a handful of new distracted driving laws that went into effect July 1. Florida, Tennessee, Illinois and Virginia all saw new laws go into action at year's midpoint. And Minnesota follows a month later. While some distracted driving measures remain in play, most lawmakers have gone home for the year, setting up another round of debates in 2020 over handheld cell phone use, texting & driving, enforcement, "personal freedoms" and the threat of racial profiling. Almost all states have texting & driving bans, but a minority have clamped down on cell phone … [Read more...]
Maine puts brakes on handheld cell phones
June 28, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Maine's governor has signed into law state Sen. Bill Diamond's handheld cell phone measure. The new distracted driving rules take effect in mid-September. Diamond, left, succeeded with a hands-free bill during the previous legislative session, but the plan was vetoed by then Gov. Paul LePage, who rejected its attempt at what he called "social engineering." Diamond and his backers found new Gov. Janet Mills more receptive, and she signed the bill into law June 27. (LePage is a Republican and Mills is a Democrat.) The law prevents drivers from holding and using mobile telephones and … [Read more...]
Florida lawmakers put teeth in texting law
April 29, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Florida has upgraded its anemic distracted driving law. The measure signed May 17 by Gov. Ron DeSantis makes texting while driving a primary offense, meaning police can stop and cite offenders for that reason alone. The state also took a hesitant step toward a handheld cell phone ban by prohibiting the practice in active school zones and roadway work zones. The strengthened law takes effect July 1. "Distracted driving has become an epidemic and I thank my colleagues in both the Senate and House for passing this much-needed common-sense legislation," said state Rep. Jackie Toledo, … [Read more...]
Stunned by cop’s death, Arizona goes hands free
April 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Inspired by tragedy yet slow to overcome resistance, Arizona has adopted a handheld cell phone ban. A hands-free measure cleared the Legislature on April 18 and was signed into law by the governor April 22. Arizona lawmakers were so opposed to electronic distracted driving regulation that the state does not currently have a texting & driving law. That dynamic changed in January, following the death of a police officer in a crash caused by a driver who admitted to texting. Dozens of Arizona's cities and counties have local laws against electronics use while behind the wheel, and those … [Read more...]
Minnesota hands free via new cell phone law
April 12, 2019 by 1 Comment
Minnesota has become the 17th state to ban the use of handheld cell phones. The state's hands-free law -- considered one of the legislative session's top achievements -- goes into effect Aug. 1. Motorists will need to use hands-free technology in order to operate their smartphones. Limited hands-free operation is permitted for GPS and the playing of music. Fines for holding a cell phone under the measure pushed through by State Rep. Frank Hornstein will range from $50 (first offense) to $275. Gov. Tim Walz offered families of those lost to distracted drivers "the deepest apologies … [Read more...]
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