Distracted driving news: A plan to roughly double the penalty for handheld device use while driving is advancing in the General Assembly in 2026. SB 1591 seeks to eliminate a cap on court costs and to add taxes. The sponsor is state Sen. Ferrell Haile. The full Senate approved it March 5. A hands-free cell phone law took effect July 1, 2020. "This bill requires that you can not have it in your hand," says State Rep. John Holsclaw, who fought for tougher distracted driving laws for five years. Fines are now $50 for most distracted driving offenses, but more if a serial offense ($100) or in … [Read more...]
Massachusetts: Cell phone laws, legislation
November 12, 2008 by 21 Comments
Cell phone, text messaging news: State Sen. Jo Comerford again seeks to amend the 2019 distracted driving law to prohibit use of videos by drivers. The 2023 bill would mandate that "no operator of a motor vehicle shall report or broadcast video of themselves on a mobile electronic device," Comerford said. The measure is dubbed "Charlie's Law," after a bicyclist hit and killed by a driver allegedly using Facetime. 2021 has seen an explosive increase in the number of electronic distracted driving citations statewide. In January, there were only 151 citations and warnings, but by April the … [Read more...]
Texas: Cell phone laws, legislation
November 12, 2008 by 94 Comments
Texas distracted driving news: State Sen. Judith Zaffirini continues to push for a complete set of distracted driving laws in Texas. Her Senate Bill 41 would outlaw use of handheld communications devices for all drivers. Her law would be "just hands-free, instead of (a banning) using a cell phone for certain purposes." She says the texting law that went into effect in late 2017 is better than nothing, but has loopholes such as allowing texting in temporarily stopped traffic. Texas' texting & driving law went into effect Sept. 1, 2017. Fines are $25 to $99 for a first offense, then $100 … [Read more...]
Louisiana: Cell phone laws, legislation
November 3, 2008 by 24 Comments
Cell phone, texting news: State Rep. Brian Glorioso's 2024 plan to outlaw handheld cell phone use by drivers is now in full effect. The law took effect Aug. 1, 2025, with warnings expiring Jan. 1, 2026. It is limited to secondary enforcement, however, except for school and work zones. "The impact (of a distracted driving fatality) is never ending," one survivor told lawmakers March 27. A 2016 law hits Louisiana's distracted drivers in the wallet. It established a $500 fine for first-time offenders of the state texting law, a penalty that can double for serial offenders. Minors pay higher … [Read more...]
New Hampshire: Cell phone laws, legislation
October 1, 2008 by 8 Comments
Cell phone, texting news: A 2023 measure seeks to prohibit drivers from holding pets or other animals in their laps while operating a vehicle. The plan is House Bill 260. New Hampshire's hands-free law went into effect in July 2015. It was the 13th state to ban the practice. Fines range from $100 (first offense) to $500. The distracted driving measure cleared the legislature in May 2014 and was signed by Gov. Maggie Hassan, who said it tackles "an increasing danger we must address." The ban on text messaging went into effect in 2010. Current prohibitions: Handheld cell phone use … [Read more...]
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