Latest Distracted Driving Headlines
All the headlines from our Distracted Driving Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Mississippi on Road to Banning Texting-While-Driving
Mar 23 2015 // Mississippi is one step closer to becoming the 45th state to ban texting while driving, after the state Senate overwhelming passed such a bill on March 9. The governor, for his part, is expected to sign the measure into...
Anti-Texting-While-Driving Measure Clears Oklahoma Senate
Mar 12 2015 // A measure making it illegal to text and drive is now one step closer to becoming law in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 821, authored by the Senate Public Safety Committee, would make it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while...
Mississippi Senate Passes Texting-While-Driving Bill, Governor Expected to Sign
Mar 11 2015 // Mississippi is one step closer to becoming the 45th state to ban texting while driving, after the state Senate overwhelming passed such a bill Monday. The governor, for his part, is expected to sign the measure into law if...
Illinois Lawmaker Wants Prison Time for Distracted Drivers in Fatal Crashes
Mar 10 2015 // Fatal crashes caused by illegal cellphone use should carry penalties similar to those imposed on drunk drivers who kill, a suburban lawmaker says. The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports that Rep. Robert Marwick wants...
Nearly 200 Distracted Drivers Ticketed in Nevada
Mar 2 2015 // Nearly 200 people in the Reno-Sparks, Nev. area were cited for distracted driving during a special enforcement effort earlier this month. The Nevada Highway Patrol and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office joined Reno and...
Car Cellphone Regulations Rejected by Arkansas House Committee
Feb 26 2015 // A dashboard video showing a state trooper narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a driver who was using a cellphone wasn’t enough to sway an Arkansas House committee that tougher laws are needed. The Public...
Bill Banning Texting and Driving Passes Oklahoma House
Feb 25 2015 // The Oklahoma House has overwhelmingly approved restrictions on texting while driving, despite concerns among the measure’s strongest supporters that they don’t go far enough. House members voted 96-2 for the...
Texting-While-Driving Bill Moves Forward in Oklahoma
Feb 13 2015 // A measure aimed at curbing the dangerous trend of texting while driving easily passed out of an Oklahoma House committee, the bill’s author reports. House Bill 1965, by state Rep. Terry O’Donnell, strengthens...
Montana Lawmakers Consider Ban on Cellphones While Driving
Feb 10 2015 // Lawmakers are expected to consider a bill that would ban the use of cellphones by motorists across the state. Montana is the only state in the country that does not ban at least some drivers from texting. Several Montana...
Connecticut Bills Aim to Ramp Up Texting While Driving Fines
Feb 9 2015 // A Connecticut legislative committee is set to hear public testimony on several bills aimed at combating texting while driving in Connecticut. Several state lawmakers in Connecticut have submitted legislation this session...
Mississippi House Reintroduces Texting-While-Driving Ban
Feb 9 2015 // House members are moving ahead with a ban on texting and social media use while driving, after killing a similar bill in the closing moments of the 2014 legislative session. The House voted 98-20 Friday to approve House...
Use of Distracted Driver Fines for Driver’s Ed Funding in Ohio Proposed
Feb 6 2015 // The state of Ohio is proposing more fines for distracted driving, with the money going to help subsidize driver’s education courses for those who can’t afford them. The Columbus Dispatch reports that the Drive...
Texas Families Push for Statewide Ban on Texting While Driving
Feb 5 2015 // Sitting behind pictures of loved ones killed in crashes, 15 Texas families tearfully pleaded with lawmakers to support a statewide texting-while-driving ban. “This is how I hold my baby now,” said Jeanne Brown,...
Michigan Police Targeting Speeding, Distracted Driving After Pileup
Jan 21 2015 // Michigan authorities plan to crack down on speeding and distracted driving in eastern Kalamazoo County following a 193-vehicle pileup that killed one man and closed a stretch of Interstate 94 for two days. State police Lt....
Oklahoma Bill Targets Use of Hand-Held Devices While Driving
Jan 12 2015 // Oklahoma Sen. Ron Sharp has filed legislation banning the use of cellphones or other handheld devices to text, email or call while driving in his state. Senate Bill 67 would make it a misdemeanor to use a handheld device...
Oklahoma Bill Targets Texting While Driving
Jan 2 2015 // Oklahoma Sen. Ron Sharp has filed legislation banning the use of cell phones or other handheld devices to text, email or call while driving in his state. Senate Bill 67 would make it a misdemeanor to use a handheld device...
Austin, San Antonio Prepare to Enact Behind-the-Wheel Phone Bans
Dec 23 2014 // Two of the biggest cities in Texas are reminding drivers of bans on handheld devices behind the wheel that take effect in Austin and San Antonio come January. Police in both cities won’t start issuing fines until...
Distracted Driver Blamed For Louisiana Lake Wreck
Dec 3 2014 // Three people jumped into a Baton Rouge, La. lake after watching a vehicle get rear-ended and careen into the water. WBRZ-TV reported the St. George Fire Department said there was only one person in the vehicle, the driver,...
University of California Helps Businesses Implement Cellphone Bans
Nov 10 2014 // Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine are launching a new program to help businesses in the San Diego region tackle distracted driving. The program, funded by the California Office of...
New Rules for New York Drivers Using Hand-Held Phones
Nov 3 2014 // New York state is imposing tougher penalties on motorists who use hand-held mobile phones while driving. As of Nov. 1, young and new drivers caught texting or using a cell phone without a hands-free device face a 120-day...
