Cell phone, texting news: A rewrite of Oregon's distracted driving law took effect Oct. 1, 2017. The law ushered in by House Bill 2597 updates the law's wording to include any use of "mobile electronic devices" such as smartphones. The law outlaws holding these devices while driving. The plan also upgraded first-time infractions from Class C to Class B ($260 first offense). State Police report a surge in ticketing in the first few months, with 516 total distracted driving citations in October, November and December compared with 279 for the same period the year before. House Bill 2597 … [Read more...]
Delaware: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 11, 2008 by 11 Comments
Distracted driving update: Delaware has doubled its fines for electronic distracted driving. As of Aug. 31, 2016, base fines increased from $50 to $100, with serial offenders paying as much as $300, up from $100 to $200. State Rep. Debra Hudson's legislation was OK'd by the House and Senate in June. Gov. Jack Markell signed the bill into law in late August. "Texting is every bit as dangerous as DUI," Hudson said. "Currently many drivers, particularly novice drivers, ignore the laws prohibiting texting and handheld-phone use while driving," Hudson's proposal said. Younger drivers seem "to … [Read more...]
North Dakota: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 11, 2008 by 8 Comments
Latest cell/texting news: North Dakota drivers who commit offenses while distracted are subject to an additional $100 fine. The unusual and somewhat vague law -- approved by the Legislature and governor in early 2017 -- bars drivers from doing anything with their sight not directly related to operation of the vehicle. The offense, which is subject to secondary enforcement, is categorized as "failure to maintain control." The 2017 law essentially adds general distracted driving wording to the state's texting & driving statute. State Rep. Corey Mock's plan originally sought to repeal the … [Read more...]
New Mexico: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 11, 2008 by 11 Comments
New Mexico had the most distracted drivers in the nation for the third straight year, according to federal traffic numbers. There were 195 deaths linked to distracted driving in the latest reporting year, 2021, the NHTSA reported in April 2023. New Mexico's men accounted for most of the fatalities linked to distraction. Almost half of the state's roadway fatalities were blamed on distraction. New Mexico also had the most distracted drivers in the nation during the 2-year period of 2019-2020, federal traffic safety numbers show. The state's texting & driving law outlaws typing on … [Read more...]
Iowa: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 10, 2008 by 22 Comments
Distracted driving news: Gov. Kim Reynolds has long said she'll sign off on hands-free legislation and now lawmakers finally have approved it. "I think it makes sense," the Republican governor has said. "The statistics are awful. Just awful." The Iowa state Senate approved a hands-free measure in mid-March 2025 and sent it to the House, where it was approved and sent to Reynolds' desk. The new law would take effect July 1. Iowa heightened the enforcement of its texting & driving law in mid-2017 and soon reported sharply higher numbers of citations. Police no longer needed another … [Read more...]
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