Table 2-25: State Laws on Distracted Driving- Ban on Hand-Held Devices and Texting While Driving: As of Febuary 2013
State | AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | DC | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ban on hand-held devices for all drivers | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Ban on texting for all drivers | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
State | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY | PR | |
Ban on hand-held devices for all drivers | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ban on texting for all drivers | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 40 |
NOTES: The totals are the sum of the individual state's data. In Iowa, Nebraska, and Virginia, secondary enforcement is applied to texting while driving. In Maryland, and Nebraska, secondary enforcement is applied to using hand-held devices while driving. The term "secondary enforcement" means that motorists must be stopped for another violation before they can be cited for texting or using a mobile phone.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, State Laws on Distracted Driving, available at http://www.distraction.gov/content/get-the-facts/state-laws.html as of Feb. 20, 2013.