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Distracted driving facts from every state
Fact: In 2015, 10% of fatal car crashes and 15% of injurious car crashes were caused by distracted driving.
Teens are in a class of their own, with distracted driving accidents among their age group hovering at an astonishing 58%. This phenomenon occurs whenever a driver attempts to multitask (a skill at which all of us are, sadly, extremely terrible). Eating, putting on makeup, texting or even just talking can prove to be deadly distractions.
The facts say that a distracted driver is 5.36 times likelier to cause a car crash than if he were focused on the road. In terms of impairment, distracted drivers and intoxicated drivers share similar capability.
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In other words, focus on the road, people.
State laws on cell phone use while driving
Sixteen states, Puerto Rico, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam have a hand-held ban on cell phones. Forty-seven states, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico also ban text messaging while driving. While no states ban all cell phone use, 38 states and D.C. do prohibit use by novice or teenage drivers. Twenty-one states and D.C. also prohibit cell phone use by school bus drivers.
Each state is different, and these technologically-based laws are changing every year. Make sure to know the laws in your particular state. This will help you stay safe while driving and avoid getting ticketed.
Texting and Driving Laws in Your State
Primary law: officers can pull over and ticket without seeing another violation.
Secondary law: officers must witness a primary violation and then ticket for secondary.
| Alabama | Texting and driving is illegal (primary). Drivers under 17 who have not had their license for at least six months cannot use a cell phone while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Alaska | Texting and driving is illegal (primary) |
| Arizona | School bus drivers cannot use a cell phone while operating a school bus (primary). Texting and driving is illegal in Phoenix (primary) |
| Arkansas | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); novice drivers cannot use cell phones (secondary); hand-held devices not permitted except during emergencies for 18-20 year olds (primary); school bus drivers cannot use cell phones while operating school bus (primary) |
| California | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); Hand-held devices illegal (primary); school bus drivers (primary) and drivers under 18 (secondary) cannot use cell phones while operating vehicle |
| Colorado | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving except for emergencies (primary) |
| Connecticut | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); Hand-held devices illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving except for emergencies (primary) |
| Delaware | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); Hand-held devices are illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers with Learner or Intermediate License cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| DC | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); Hand-held devices are illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers with learner's permits cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Florida | Texting and driving is illegal (secondary) |
| Georgia | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Guam | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); Hand-held devices illegal (primary) |
| Hawaii | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); Hand-held devices illegal (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Idaho | Texting and driving is illegal (primary) |
| Illinois | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); Hand-held devices illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers 19 and under cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Indiana | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers 21 and under cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Iowa | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers with restricted or intermediate licenses cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Kansas | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers with learner's permits or graduated licenses cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Kentucky | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Louisiana | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 or those who've had license for less than one year cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary); those with intermediate licenses or learner's permits cannot use hand-held devices (primary) |
| Maine | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Maryland | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); handheld mobile devices while driving is illegal (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Massachusetts | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Michigan | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers with levels 1 or 2 Graduated Driver's Licenses cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Minnesota | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers, drivers under 18 and drivers with Learner or Provisional License cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Mississippi | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Missouri | Texting and driving is illegal for those 21 and younger (primary) |
| Montana | Texting and driving is illegal in certain cities |
| Nebraska | Texting and driving is illegal (secondary); drivers under 18 with Learner or Intermediate License cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (secondary) |
| Nevada | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary) |
| New Hampshire | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving (even hands-free) (primary) |
| New Jersey | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers with a Permit or Provisional License cannot use cell phones while driving (even hands-free) (primary) |
| New Mexico | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal for in state vehicles (primary); drivers with Learner or Provisional Permit cannot use cell phones while driving (primary) |
| New York | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary) |
| North Carolina | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 cannot use a cell phone while driving (primary) |
| North Dakota | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving (primary) |
| Ohio | Texting and driving is illegal (secondary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Oklahoma | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers with learner's permits or intermediate licenses cannot use hand-held devices while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Oregon | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Pennsylvania | Texting and driving is illegal (primary) |
| Puerto Rico | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary) |
| Rhode Island | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| South Carolina | Texting and driving is illegal (primary) |
| South Dakota | Texting and driving is illegal (secondary); drivers with learner's permit or intermediate license cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (secondary) |
| Tennessee | Texting and driving is illegal while vehicle is in motion (primary); school bus drivers and drivers with learner's permit or intermediate driver's license cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle; use of hand-held devices is illegal in school zone when lights are flashing (primary) |
| Texas | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers with passengers under 17 and drivers with learner's permit cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Utah | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers and drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Vermont | Texting and driving is illegal; hand-held devices are illegal while driving (primary); drivers under 18 cannot use wireless devices while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| Virgin Islands | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); hand-held devices are illegal while driving (primary) |
| Virginia | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); school bus drivers (primary) and drivers under 18 (secondary) cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle |
| Washington | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary); drivers with a learner's permit or an intermediate driver's license cannot use cell phones while operating a vehicle (primary) |
| West Virginia | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); the use of hand-held devices while driving is illegal (primary); drivers under 18 with a learner's permit or intermediate driver's license cannot use a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle (primary) |
| Wisconsin | Texting and driving is illegal (primary); drivers with a learner's permit or intermediate driver's license cannot use cell phone while driving (primary) |
| Wyoming | Texting and driving is illegal (primary) |
States focusing on distracted driving
Many states are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to distracted driving. There was a crackdown by six states in the Northeast (Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia).
The Texas Department of Transportation also has an intense statewide campaign called Talk, Text, Crash. With one in five drivers getting into accidents because of distractions (a statistic that has not changed in three years), the state is doing its best to combat this epidemic.
Even if it’s legal for drivers to use cell phones while driving in your state, keep in mind that this compromises safety and could make you liable for damages in the event of a car accident.
Texting shifts responsibility - to you
Is a two-second SMH text (“shaking my head”) worth paying thousands in damages? Distractions can make you liable for a car accident, even if the crash was also the other driver’s fault. Your phone records could be subpoenaed to determine if you were texting or talking while the accident occurred.
Consider this distracted driving fact: If you drive at 55 miles per hour and send a text that takes 4.6 seconds, the distance your car traveled is the length of a football field. That is the equivalent of driving blind across a football field.
You know what else takes 4.6 seconds? Getting into a car crash.
How to avoid texting and driving accidents
The simplest way to solve the texting and driving problem? Don’t text and drive. Apple’s new updates for iPhones include a new driver safety feature that senses when the car is in motion and blocks text messages. There is also an option to say “I’m not driving” (i.e., I’m a passenger).
If you believe that a life-or-death text message must be sent or received while you are en route to another destination, pull over and stop the car. Answer the text and then get back on the road.
You could even turn off the phone while driving, or at least keep it on silent. Put it where you can’t see it or hear a notification.
Headsets, while not legal in every state, can also assist in preventing accidents caused by using a cell phone while operating a vehicle. Be proactive with your own safety and know that you are responsible for your actions.
Don’t text and drive!
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