Washington state drivers looking forward to another year and a half of relatively lax distracted driving laws are in for a surprise: Gov. Jay Inslee signed the "Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act" into law, as expected, but not before vetoing the Legislature's enactment date of Jan. 1, 2019. The tougher electronic distracted driving law now goes into effect in mid-July 2017. "We can't wait that long," Inslee said to cheers and applause at the bill signing. The new law doubles fines for repeated violations of texting or other uses of a handheld cell phone. First offenses … [Read more...]
Brown OKs new Calif. distracted driving law
September 26, 2016 by 1 Comment
California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a rewrite of the state's distracted driving laws. The act's sponsor, Assemblyman Bill Quirk, celebrated the overhaul of what he called the state's "archaic laws" regarding use of portable electronic devices while driving. Brown, left, who did not comment on the measure, had vetoed several efforts to increase punishments for electronic distracted driving. Quirk's legislation, AB 1785, did not increase penalties. "This bill targets the deadliest cause of distracted driving-related crashes, the use of an electronic device while driving," Quirk said … [Read more...]
Delaware doubles distracted fine
August 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Delaware has doubled its fine for electronic distracted driving. Gov. Jack Markell signed legislation Aug. 31 that upped the base penalty for texting & driving and using handheld cell phones to $100. Serial offenders will pay between $200 and $300. "The increased penalties we're enacting today reflect the seriousness of this issue and reinforce the importance of keeping your eyes on the road," Markell said as he signed the act at the headquarters of AAA Mid-Atlantic, a supporter of the legislation. State Rep. Debra Hudson's legislation was OK'd by the House in mid-June and by the … [Read more...]
Calif. texting law update to governor
August 25, 2016 by 1 Comment
A rewrite of California's electronic distracted driving laws has cleared the Legislature and been sent to Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill from Assemblyman Bill Quirk, left, was designed to simplify and expand the state's distracted driving laws by recasting its ban on texting & driving. Update: The governor signed Quirk's measure into law Sept. 26. /update. AB 1785's wording, inspired by a court ruling, places the focus on use of the handheld electronic device itself, rather than the activity (such as text messaging). It is designed to get mobile devices out of drivers' … [Read more...]
Louisiana texting fines now start at $500
June 15, 2016 by 27 Comments
Distracted drivers in Louisiana will see significantly higher penalties for texting or social media use while behind the wheel. Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 13 signed into law legislation that establishes $500 fines for first-time offenders of the state texting law, a penalty that will double for serial offenders. Minors will pay higher fines as well. Louisiana's new distracted driving penalties go into effect immediately. Senate Bill 91 (Act 472) comes from state Sen. Yvonne Colomb. The full Senate approved the bill in mid-April and the House followed at the end of May. Louisiana … [Read more...]
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