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...]
Idaho: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 30, 2008 by 14 Comments
Distracted driving news: A handheld cell phone ban took full effect Jan. 1, 2021. Primary enforcement. Fines are $75 for a first offense, then $150, then $300. The final bill (HB 614) signed by Gov. Brad Little was the same as one passed earlier by the Senate, but with a consideration for agriculture functions. "Remember lives are lost to this needless carnage on our roads and our highways," sponsor Sen. Chuck Winder told lawmakers before the vote on his original bill. The so-called "100 Deadliest Days" proved a bit less lethal in Idaho in 2020. 78 people died in crashes on Idaho's roads … [Read more...]
Nevada: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 22, 2008 by 57 Comments
Cell, texting news: Assemblywoman Michelle Gorelow proposed a modification of the distracted driving laws permitting police to search a driver's cell phone to determine if it contributed to a crash. Allows for police use of a "investigative technology device" such as a textalyzer. Gorelow retreated in early March 2019 on a provision that if a driver refused to hand over the mobile phone, automatic license suspension goes into effect. The legislation was ignored, regardless. The next session begins Feb. 1, 2021. While the Highway Patrol notes that the state's distracted driving law is … [Read more...]
Pennsylvania: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 19, 2008 by 37 Comments
Pennsylvania cell phone/texting news: State Sen. Rosemary Brown's hands-free cell phone measure for 2023-24 has become law. It was signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on June 5. "I have met too many people with injuries they’ll live with for the rest of their lives because they were hit by a distracted driver," Shapiro said. The new law calls for a $50 fine and primary enforcement. A 12-month (written) warning period is now in effect. Pennsylvania's texting law went into effect in March 2012. Police continue to complain it is difficult to enforce because drivers are allowed to enter phone numbers … [Read more...]
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