Cell phones that are hand held while driving are now prohibited in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia, according to a newly released survey by the Institute for Highway safety. In addition, Utah has a secondary law, meaning that drivers can be charged with a cell phone offense only when violating another law. In six other states, state laws permit jurisdictions to prohibit cell phone use while driving: Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Eight states prohibit localities from banning cell phone use: Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
The survey also found laws in 17 states that prohibit use of all cell phones by school bus drivers, as well as limitations on use by novice drivers in 17 states. Text messaging while driving is banned for all drivers in Alaska, California, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Washington, and the District of Columbia. In nine states, novice drivers are prohibited from tax messaging, while four states specifically bans school bus drivers from text messaging.
* Resources: Motorwatch Journal
