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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Table 2-25: State Laws on Distracted Driving- Ban on Hand-Held Devices and Texting While Driving: As of Febuary 2013

Monday, July 21, 2014

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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.