Accident News

States With Laws Banning Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Are New York, New Jersey & District of Columbia

Driver cell phone use is largely unrestricted by State laws. No States ban use outright. Currently, three States and the District of Columbia ban the use of hand-held phones while driving. One of these bans took effect in 2001 (New York), two in 2004 (New Jersey in May 2004 and DC in July 2004), and one in 2005 (Connecticut). However, Connecticut’s ban took effect in October, after the 2005 NOPUS was conducted. A small number of States otherwise restrict the manner of use, e.g., by requiring sound to travel unimpaired to at least one of the driver’s ears or requiring at least one hand on the steering wheel at all times.

A few States ban use in certain situations, such as when operating a school bus or public transit vehicle. In addition, some major cities have hand-held bans or otherwise restrict use. Driving while using a headset is even less restricted by traffic laws. No States or major cities ban use outright. As with driver cell phone use, a small number of States restrict the manner of use, e.g., by requiring sound to travel unimpaired to at least one of the driver’s ears, or ban certain types of use in certain situations, such as by banning cell phone use (whether hand-held or hands-free) when operating a school bus or public transit vehicle.

NHTSA’s policy on using cell phones while driving is conveyed in the following statements from www.nhtsa.gov: “The primary responsibility of the driver is to operate a motor vehicle safely. The task of driving requires full attention and focus. Cell phone use can distract drivers from this task, risking harm to themselves and others. Therefore, the safest course of action is to refrain from using a cell phone while driving.” More information on the agency’s policy can be found on this Web site.

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	Did You Know?
	Almost 5,000 trucks were involved in fatal death crashes from recent report Large trucks accounted for 9 percent of the vehicles in fatal crashes, but only 4 percent of the vehicles involved in injury and property-damage-only crashes. Of the 4,898 large trucks involved in fatal crashes, 76 percent were combination trucks.