TABLE 1-1 - State Laws on Distracted Driving: Bans on Hand-Held Devices and Texting While Driving as of January 2011
TABLE 1-1 - State Laws on Distracted Driving: Bans on Hand-Held Devices and Texting While Driving as of January 2011
| State | Ban on hand-held devices | Texting ban |
|---|---|---|
| AL | ||
| AK | Y | |
| AZ | ||
| AR | Y | |
| CA | Y | Y |
| CO | Y | |
| CT | Y | Y |
| DE | Y | Y |
| DC | Y | Y |
| FL | ||
| GA | Y | |
| HI | ||
| ID | ||
| IL | Y | |
| IN | ||
| IA | Y | |
| KS | Y | |
| KY | Y | |
| LA | Y | |
| ME | ||
| MD | Y | Y |
| MA | Y | |
| MI | Y | |
| MN | Y | |
| MS | ||
| MO | ||
| MT | ||
| NE | Y | |
| NV | ||
| NH | Y | |
| NJ | Y | Y |
| NM | ||
| NY | Y | Y |
| NC | Y | |
| ND | ||
| OH | ||
| OK | ||
| OR | Y | Y |
| PA | ||
| RI | Y | |
| SC | ||
| SD | ||
| TN | Y | |
| TX | ||
| UT | Y | |
| VT | Y | |
| VA | Y | |
| WA | Y | Y |
| WV | ||
| WI | Y | |
| WY | Y | |
| PR | ||
| U.S., total | 9 | 31 |
NOTES: While nine states have universal bans on hand-held devices and texting, many other states have partial bans on either or both that restrict use for novice drivers or bus drivers. In Iowa, Nebraska, New York, and Virginia, secondary enforcement is applied to texting while driving. In Maryland, 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 cell phone.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, State Laws on Distracted Driving, available at http://www.distraction.gov/state-laws/ as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics, table 2-25, available at http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/ as of April 2011.