New England has gone hands-free with the launch of Massachusetts' new cell phone law, which is now in effect. Gov. Charlie Baker signed the long-debated distracted driving bill into law Nov. 24. (top photo) and it began Sunday, Feb. 23. It bars motorists from holding cell phones. Violators will be pulled over but receive warnings until Tuesday, March 31. Fines are $100 for first offenders, $250 for second offenders and $500 for third offenders. Serial offenders are required to attend traffic school. And three-time violators will see their offenses reported to insurance companies, … [Read more...]
Fla., Illinois crackdown on distracted driving
January 1, 2020 by 1 Comment
Chronic distracted drivers have a bit less to celebrate with the arrival of the new year. Two states made moves Jan. 1 to crack down on those who drive while fiddling with their electronic devices. Several others are settling into big changes made during 2019. In Florida, full enforcement of the texting & driving law went into effect Jan. 1. The Florida Highway Patrol and other law agencies had delayed primary enforcement of the existing texting & driving rules, as well as the new school- and work-zone restrictions on cell phones. The Sunshine State's new texting policy technically … [Read more...]
Busy summer for new distracted driving laws
July 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment
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...]
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