Blog Posts by Alice Miles

If you travel between the States of the U.S., you may have wondered if you can use your cell phone while driving in a certain state. This once simple question becomes more complex as you differentiate between hand held and hands free phones as well as the type of driver you are. As an example, no state bans all cell phone use but 29 states and Washington D.C. ban all cell phone use by novice drivers.

On the issues is text messaging while driving – not a good idea. Currently 30 states ban text messaging for all drivers, an additional 9 states prohibit text messaging by novice drivers and other states consider text messaging as part of a larger distracted driving issue. I can assure you that the states that do not have laws prohibiting texting while driving are considering enacting such a law. In my opinion, it's just a matter of time and reaching agreement on how the laws will be structured. So, stay safe – don't text and drive.

Here's a state-by-state chart outlining the current cell phone and texting while driving laws in the U.S.

Posted by Alice Miles, Regional Director, Government Relations, Polk (04.25.2011)