The legislation, a priority of the governor during his first term, establishes texting while driving as a primary offense. That allows officers to initiate a traffic stop if they believe drivers are using their phones.
The new law is at times hard to follow in that it bans a driver from “holding or physically supporting with any part of the person’s body” a phone. However, it lists about 13 instances in which this rule doesn’t apply, including:· A stopped car, whether pulled over or at a red light· Drivers on the phone held up to their ear· A person using a hands-free system
Violators would be charged with an unclassified misdemeanor and points on their license, with penalties worsening over each offense. The law states that officers cannot stop vehicles unless they “visually observe” a driver using or holding a phone. They can’t confiscate or access the phone without the driver’s consent or a warrant.stuck in the House
. He said road fatalities had hit their highest levels since 2002, including nearly 12,000 distracted driving crashes in the previous year. Nearly 40% of them involved drivers who were 15 to 24 years of age.Jake Zuckerman covers state politics and policy. Read more of his workIf you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
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