Two more municipalities in South Carolina have outlawed texting while driving, citing the state's inability to pass distracted driving legislation. Mount Pleasant approved a local ban Sept. 10, a day after the Beauford County barred texting. The Beauford ban includes the use of all cell phones by drivers under the age of 18. Hilton Head, which is part of Beauford County, adopted a texting ban in early July. Charleston's City Council, meanwhile, is nearing approval of an ordinance banning texting while driving. A key vote on the issue was just postponed until Sept. 24, … [Read more...]
Calif. closing teen texting loophole
September 4, 2013 by 1 Comment
California teens who use voice-activated technology to get around the state's ban on texting & driving are likely to see that loophole closed. If signed by the governor, a plan OK'd by the Legislature will prohibit use of voice-operated, hands-free texting technology by drivers under age 18. The ban would include texting via "infotainment" dashboards and voice-responsive apps such as the widely used Siri on iPhones. Teens already are barred from using cell phones -- whether held or hands-free -- but a 2012 law appears to give them permission to use the hands-free texting technologies … [Read more...]
Wireless carriers gang up on texting
May 15, 2013 by 1 Comment
AT&T's "It Can Wait" campaign against texting & driving is getting support from some unlikely allies -- rival wireless carriers Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. The safety ad campaign will deploy its new resources throughout the summer, which AT&T and AAA call "the 100 deadliest days on the roads for teen drivers." "Texting and driving is a serious social challenge, and we look forward to partnering with leading organizations and experts around the world to answer it," said Verizon Wireless chief Dan Mead. The ad campaign, which kicks off May 20, "will focus on the stories of people who … [Read more...]
Wisconsin 25th state to ban texting
May 5, 2010 by 4 Comments
Wisconsin's governor signed into law a ban on texting while driving, making it the 25th state to outlaw the practice. Jim Doyle joined a growing line of governors who enacted distracted driving laws this legislative season. Right before him was Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, whose texting-ban signing ceremony was broadcast live on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Wisconsin's new distracted driving law (from Assembly Bill 496) provides for fines ranging from $20 to $400. The offense is targeted for primary enforcement, which means law office can stop violators for that reason alone. Enforcement … [Read more...]
Indiana: Cell phone laws, legislation
December 13, 2008 by 46 Comments
Cell phone, texting update: Violators of the 2020 hands-free driving law will now see demerit points vs. their licenses. The law barring drivers from using handheld communications devices took effect July 1, 2020, but the points went into effect a year later. State law officers issued more than 14,000 citations and warnings for electronic distracted driving as of early 2023. Fines up to $500 under the law generated by Rep. Holli Sullivan's HB 1070. Gov. Holcomb called for the hands-free law while announcing his agenda for the 2020 legislative session and repeated the message in the State … [Read more...]
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