Where is driving while on a cell phone illegal

[funkybutt]

Just looking for a state-by state breakdown. Anyone know?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

1. In NY it's illegal unless you use it hands free. The fine starts at $75

for the first offense and escalates after that.

[amerikat]

9. police in NY are exempt from the law it seems.

The cops in my town drive and talk at the same time. Maybe we should subpeona the records to make sure they are not personal calls. Yeah, right, sure that'll happen.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

25. Just like the go through traffic lights all the time........ eom

[readmoreoften]

38. In NYC it should be a $10,000 fine.

Last thing I need is a yellow cab parked on top of me.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

43. It's dangerous enough with all of the pedestrians talking on their phones

and the possibility of them mowing other people down!

[mopinko]

2. chicago

think it's a $50 ticket.

[benburch]

GMTA. nt

[mopinko]

6. ??

sorry, it's late.

[benburch]

11. Great Minds Think Alike == GMTA nt

[benburch]

3. Illegal unless hands free in Chicago, IL. nt

[LynzM]

4. Illegal unless hands-free in CT. (n/t)

[Chimichurri]

5. NJ without a headset

[Kerrytravelers]

7. I WISH it were illegal in CA.

[maveric]

23. The whole state would come to a screeching halt.

It seems like 70% of drivers I see here are talking on the damn cell phone while moving.

[Dem2theMax]

32. "It seems like 70% of drivers I see here

are talking on the damn cell phone while moving."

And most of them are running red lights while doing so! I've lost count as to how many 'near misses' I've seen - and all because people were yakking away, not paying attention to anything but themselves and their all important phone calls. AAARRRRGGGG.

I can hardly wait for the day California outlaws talking on cell phones while driving.
Well, I can hope. LOL?

[raccoon]

54. And in SC. It's incredible the number of people you see talking

on the cell phone, driving with one hand, in HEAVY TRAFFIC.

[goclark]

58. Didn't I hear it was illegal in CA?

[mtnsnake]

8. NY. The talking itself isn't that bad. It's dialing that causes mailboxes

to jump out in front of cars!

[Atman]

10. CT required hands-free, or $100 fine

And they've been handing out quite a few $100 fines, from what I hear.

[VTMechEngr]

14. And people here obey oh so well....

:eyes:

[Redstone]

12. Not in near enough places. Connecticut is one, but nobody gives a

rat's ass; I still damn near get run over AT LEAST once a week by some nitwit yacking on the cellphone. And I don't even drive very much.

SHUT THE FUCK UP AND PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR DRIVING, WOULD YOU?

Redstone

[Rainscents]

13. Not yet Washington state, I hope it's soon.

[TechBear_Seattle]

18. The bill is passed and signed

It becomes effective June 1, I think, like most bills passed this session.

[Rainscents]

24. Thank you!

I got rear ended last week because kid (24) was on the cell phone and wasn't paying attention.

Our governor, she is doing excellent job!:thumbsup:

[Infomaniac]

15. Here ya go

Highway Safety
Cell Phones and Highway Safety: 2005 Legislative Update
July 2005

by Matt Sundeen, Program Principal


http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/cellphoneupdate05.htm

Cell Phones and Highway Safety: 2005 State Legislative Update
Appendix A. Existing State Laws Regarding Mobile Phone Use while Driving

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/cellphone05apdA.htm

[RB TexLa]

16. Surely even where it is illegal, police have more important things

to worry about.

I found out Dallas has a stupid law saying you can't leave the keys in your car. I got out of the car and was walking into a store to get something and the cop coming out asked if my car was running. I told him yes it running, and he informed me it was against the law for me to leave my keys in the car. I just said "ok, whatever," and went on in the store. He didn't say anything and was gone when I came out so I guess he thinks a law telling people where they may and may not leave their property is a waste of time as well.

[mopinko]

56. fortunately, cops are human

which is why stupid laws are not as big a problem as they could be. i think people mostly get ticketed if they are driving badly, or cause an accident.

[EstimatedProphet]

17. Unfortunately not Ohio

[OnyxCollie]

20. I thought it was illegal

in Old Brooklyn, no?

[EstimatedProphet]

22. Not in the state

I don't know where Old Brooklyn is, but every day it seems I see sopme idiot slowly plodding down the road with a cellphone stuck to their head.

[OnyxCollie]

28. You are correct.

It's not illegal in the state. Old Brooklyn is a suburb on the west side of Cleveland. I don't know how many people have actually been cited.

[MercutioATC]

29. ...and North Olmsted.

Thankfully, not in Westlake (where I live).

SOME of us can actually drive and talk at the same time. I hate laws written to protect against the lowest common denominator...

[johnnie]

53. No

I live in Old Brooklyn. It is in Brooklyn it is illegal. The mayor who did that is also the first mayor to start a seatbelt law. One of, if not *the* first in the country.

[Freedom_Aflaim]

19. About as effective as speeding laws

Actually far less so.

See a cop, put down the phone until you pass him, then continue conversation.

Now I rarely talk on the phone and drive, I found it quite annoying, but if I need to make a call, I sure as heck am not going to worry about the 1 in 100,000 chance that I might get a ticket.

[Tesha]

46. The comeupance for you will arrive when you hit someone while yacking.

> I sure as heck am not going to worry about the 1 in 100,000 chance
> that I might get a ticket.

The comeupance for you will arrive when you hit someone while yacking.

Any reasonable attorney will subpoena your cell phone records and
when it shows you were on the air when you rear-ended someone,
your ass will be grass.

Tesha

[Freedom_Aflaim]

57. lol. Nobody is going to subpoena phone records

for a $75 ticket.

As for an accident, either you are at fault or not. That phone is distraction but never the cause of the accident. The cause of the accident is the actions the driver takes.

In your example of rear-ending someone, the rear-ender would clearly be liable regardless of phone use. Use of a phone would increase the criminal liability (ie: a $75 fine), but would have no effect on civil liability.

Anyway Im more motivated by the how it affects my driving, thats why I don't normally do it. The very small possibility of a small fine is of much lesser concern.

[RB TexLa]

49. or just keep on talking

I don't wear seat belts because I find them uncomfortable, the few times cops in Texas have pulled me over I simply tell them that I don't wear them and don't like them, they have just laughed and gone on about their business. Have never been pulled over in Louisiana for seatbelts.

Best thing is to be honest with them.

[doc03]

21. Don't know, but it should be.

[XOKCowboy]

26. Hands-free being safer is a total myth

It does help to have an extra hand to turn the steering wheel but it's more important to have your mind on your driving.

[MercutioATC]

30. Agreed! Let's ban car radios!!

Or passengers...

Or being lost and looking for street signs...


:eyes:

[RB TexLa]

31. And don't forget the information signs on the freeways they say they

want us to READ as we drive. Don't want you to use a phone or a laptop while you drive but we they do want you to read the info signs. :rofl:

[XOKCowboy]

34. Go ahead and make fun..

but studies have shown that it's not as much the holding the phone to your hear that's dangerous as your attention being distracted by your conversation. Here is one link..

http://news.siu.edu/news/March06/030306tw5142.jsp

Here is another story about an Australian study on the hands-free myth.

http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/12/new-study-says-headsets-dont-make-cellphone-driving-safer/

As for other distractions, I believe that when you're driving you are driving a multi-ton lethal weapon. You have to be aware of your surroundings at all times to avoid accidents, no matter who's at fault. Most accidents could be avoided by better driving skills. Most people don't know how to drive anyway then you give them a cellpone to distract them further is a recipe for disaster.

[RB TexLa]

35. I agree with you, I was saying the phone conversation and the info signs

can both be as distracting, just states seem to be telling us not to use one and at the same time telling us to read the other.

[XOKCowboy]

39. Those directional signs are one of the things I was talking about..

I drive a lot of miles around the country and in some areas it takes all of your attention just to stay on the right road. I don't know how many times I've seen people on cellphones suddenly turn across a couple of lanes to hit an exit ramp.

[RB TexLa]

40. The info signs, where they have construction notices, accident info, amber

alert information, that scrolls across.

I see people cut across lanes of traffic on and off the phone to make a ramp, part of life.

[MercutioATC]

42. Maybe we should just be more careful when issuing licenses...

In this country, driving is unofficially considered a right, not a priveledge. I believe that's the real problem...too many complete idiots are allowed to drive.

Yes, anybody's skills (in whatever category) diminish when they multitask. However, if you're arguement is that distractions are unacceptable, logically we also have to ban car radios.

[Swamp Rat]

27. It doesn't matter in New Orleans

It seems everyone does it here every day, and it pisses me off! :mad:

I can't count the times I was almost killed this year by contractors from Texas in their big SUVs/pick ups, drinking alcohol and talking on cell phones while driving.

[Nutmegger]

33. Illegal now in Connecticut

I still see people do it though and almost got rear-ended because of some jackass....

Jeezzzus, people don't think. :eyes:

[arcos]

36. Costa Rica... it has been illegal for 8 years or so... nt

[MercutioATC]

41. You gotta be kidding me....

Costa Rica???

My retirement bastion of freedom???


Ah, well, doesn't matter to me anyway. When I retire in 10 years, I'm moving there for the peace and quiet (Osa Peninsula). No cellphone, but I'll be available my monkeygram.

[arcos]

63. Well, it is usually not enforced...

You should just hide the telephone if traffic police appears. :P

[MercutioATC]

65. I usually use a headset while driving, anyway...

...never had a problem.

10 years, 44 days....I'll be retired in Costa Rica :)

[flygal]

37. Illegal in Germany

I know this isn't what you asked for, but when I visit the states it's shocking to see people driving with cell phones at their ears. You just don't see it here. Now the trains is another story - way too many.

[MiniMe]

44. DC without a headset n/t

[soothsayer]

47. Well, handsfree, really (I use my speaker)

[MiniMe]

60. I stand corrected :-)

[Iris]

45. Georgia

Ha! ha! Just kidding.

That sort of law would be "communist" or, at best, "socialist".

We love dying in our cars.

[Dulcinea]

50. If only it was.

Talking on a dumb-ass cell phone while driving is one of my pet peeves. I have nearly been taken out several times because of this...with my kids in the car!

Cellphone use while driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk. The penalties should be similar, IMHO.

[Iris]

52. I totally agree.

In fact, a couple of years ago, I was outraged by a radio station who had "soccer mom trivia". They would run a trivia contest during the hours soccer moms were picking their kids up from school and chauffering them to their various activities. The idea was the mom would call on her cell phone (while driving an SUV full of kids) and the kids would scream out answers to trivia questions from the back seat.

[Skinner]

48. it's illegal in Washington DC

Unless you use a hands-free device.

[Dulcinea]

51. Australia and/or New Zealand.

I long for the day it's illegal in the US.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

55. I'm pretty sure, but not 100%, that it's illegal in Maryland. It's legal

in Texas.

[goclark]

59. Link with info about the states here ...

www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/ptech/12/16/cell.phone.drivers.ap/index.html

[Xenotime]

61. Some places in Texas...

city police will pull you over depending on if they are having a bad day.

[RB TexLa]

64. Where? I've never heard of anyone getting pulled over for laptop or cell

use around D-FW.

[JerseygirlCT]

62. CT is hands-free only. nt