Latest Distracted Driving Headlines
All the headlines from our Distracted Driving Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Mississippi Lawmakers Move to Tighten Law on Texting While Driving
Feb 18 2014 // Mississippi could tighten its law against sending text messages while driving. The House passed House Bill 484 last Thursday. It would ban texting while driving for anyone 18 or younger. Current law bans it for any younger...
New Texting-While-Driving Ban Proponents: Oklahoma Teens
Feb 13 2014 // A group of teenagers who support a ban on texting while driving in Oklahoma are urging legislators to pass a new state law outlawing the practice. About a dozen high school students with a group called “Generation...
South Carolina City Bans Texting While Driving
Feb 13 2014 // Greenville, South Carolina has banned texting while driving. The city council voted this week to make it illegal to use a hand-held device while driving. The ban taking effect April 1 also applies to vehicles stopped in...
N.H. Court Upholds Assault Conviction in Texting-While-Driving Case
Feb 12 2014 // New Hampshire’s highest court is upholding the assault conviction of a driver who was reading a text message as his car drifted across two lanes and into oncoming traffic. The state Supreme Court’s ruling means...
North Carolina Driver Apologizes for Death Due to Texting
Feb 12 2014 // A Belmont, North Carolina woman charged with hitting and killing a pedestrian has apologized. Forty-five-year-old Belinda Strange Hudspeth apologized to the victim’s family in court on Monday. Seventy-five-year-old...
North Carolina Driver Faces Murder, Texting Charge
Feb 10 2014 // A North Carolina woman faces murder and other charges after authorities say she was texting a message when she hit and killed a 75-year-old woman walking to visit a neighbor. The North Carolina Highway Patrol said...
Mississippi Senate Backs Fine for Texting While Driving
Feb 7 2014 // The Mississippi Senate has voted to make texting a driving a crime _ but not much of one. Senate Bill 2434 says anyone caught sending a text message or checking a social media site while driving can be charged with...
Senator Presses Tech Firms, Car Makers to Develop Distracted Driving Solutions
Feb 7 2014 // A top U.S. senator is vowing to pursue rules governing in-vehicle use of mobile phones and Internet-connected entertainment systems unless automakers and technology companies do more to reduce driver distractions. Senate...
Safety Advocates Call for Nebraska Texting, Seat Belt Law
Jan 30 2014 // Driver safety advocates have renewed their call for a stronger seat belt and texting law in Nebraska, arguing that the measure would help reduce fatal crashes. The legislation would allow law enforcement to stop drivers...
Wisconsin Bill Would Ban Cellphones in Construction Zones
Jan 29 2014 // A bill that would prohibit drivers from talking on their cellphones while in a construction zone is moving forward in the Wisconsin state Legislature. The Republican-sponsored measure cleared a Senate committee earlier...
Texting While Driving Ban Goal of South Dakota Lawmaker
Jan 22 2014 // A South Dakota lawmaker plans to press “send” again and try to persuade his colleagues in the Legislature to join 41 other states and ban texting while driving. Similar measure have failed in recent legislative...
Esurance Aims to Help Prevent Teen Texting and Driving
Jan 13 2014 // Esurance in December launched a new telematics program designed to help prevent teens from texting while driving. The program is called “DriveSafe.” Under this new voluntary program, Esurance policyholders may...
Texting While Driving Ban Again in New Mexico Lawmaker’s Sights
Jan 7 2014 // Another attempt is being made at the New Mexico Legislature to prohibit texting while driving. Democratic Sen. Peter Wirth of Santa Fe has pre-filed a bill, marking the fifth time a version of a texting-while-driving ban...
Cell Phone, Other Distractions Greater Threat to Teen Drivers
Jan 3 2014 // Teens may begin their driving habits with great caution but as months behind the wheel pass, they begin to multitask at higher frequency rates – dialing cell phones, eating, and talking to passengers – and therefore...
N.Y. Approves Esurance Program Aimed at Preventing Teen Texting and Driving
Dec 18 2013 // New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration announced it has approved Esurance’s new telematics program designed to help prevent teens from texting while driving. This new voluntary program, called...
West Virginia Has Ticketed 286 Distracted Drivers Since July
Dec 13 2013 // More than 280 motorists have been cited for distracted driving violations in West Virginia since a law went into effect July 1. The law makes using a handheld cellphone while driving a primary offense. It also bans texting...
South Carolina’s Greenville Eyes Driver Cellphone Ban
Dec 5 2013 // Greenville, South Carolina is considering a ban on any use of a cellphone in a driver’s hand. The city has created a task force to look at driving safety. Mayor Pro Tem David Sudduth said Monday they determined just...
Lawyer Drops Appeal in N.J. Text Sender Liability Case
Nov 22 2013 // The lawyer for a Florida couple has dropped an appeal of a New Jersey texting while driving ruling. Attorney Stephen Weinstein represents a couple who each lost a leg in 2009 when their motorcycle was struck in New Jersey...
Wyoming City Weighs Ban On Cellphone Use While Driving
Nov 21 2013 // The Jackson Town Council is considering a ban on cellphone conversations while driving that could start in Wyoming town in mid-December. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reported the council gave preliminary approval to...
Old Catching Up with the Young
Nov 18 2013 // Cellphone use and texting while driving are on the rise along with accessing the internet while driving — and it’s not just young people engaging in these dangerous activities behind the wheel. In its annual...
