texting while driving News

Alaska City Considering $500 Ticket for Texting While Driving

Texting while driving in Anchorage, Alaska may land drivers a $500 traffic ticket under a proposal that shifts the violation from criminal to traffic court. The Alaska Dispatch News reported assembly members will discuss the texting and driving proposal Tuesday …

Massachusetts Considers Ban on Handheld Cellphone Use While Driving

Families of those killed in distracted driving accidents are asking Massachusetts lawmakers to back legislation that would require drivers to use hand-free phones in the state. Foxborough, Massachusetts, resident Jerry Cibley’s 18-year-old son Jordan was killed in 2007 as he …

Rhode Island Attorney General Urges Teens to Not Text While Driving

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin is urging teenage drivers to not use their cell phones while driving as part of the fourth annual “It Can Wait” campaign in the state. Kilmartin kicked off this year’s effort on Sept. 25 …

Report: More Distracted Drivers Than Ever on Pennsylvania Roads

Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel! A new report says more people in Pennsylvania are being caught for distracted driving than ever before. The report from the state’s court system says 1,410 drivers were cited for texting while …

Plymouth Rock Survey: 1 in 3 N.J. Drivers Report Having Texted While Driving

An annual study released this week by Plymouth Rock Assurance shows that 33 percent of New Jersey motorists surveyed admit to having read/texted messages while driving in the past. Plymouth Rock says that’s the highest percentage recorded since the company …

Maryland Authorities Cracking Down on Distracted Drivers

Maryland State Police are cracking down on distracted driving this month. During April, the agency says that troopers from all 22 barracks statewide will conduct additional patrols to identify distracted drivers. They say they’ll be on the lookout for people …

Erie Survey Finds Wide Range of Distracted Behaviors Behind Wheel

To discourage distracted driving in conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Erie Insurance, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, recently asked drivers what they do behind the wheel. The online survey of 1,915 U.S. drivers aged 18 and older …

Illinois Lawmaker Wants Prison Time for Distracted Drivers in Fatal Crashes

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 aggravated use of an electronic communication …

Car Cellphone Regulations Rejected by Arkansas House Committee

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 Transportation Committee voted 11-7 against …

Montana Lawmakers Consider Ban on Cellphones While Driving

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 cities …