Latest Distracted Driving Headlines

All the headlines from our Distracted Driving Topic Page, ordered by recency.

New York Drivers Will Get Points for Talking on Cell Phones

Mar 7 2011 // New York drivers who are caught talking on their cell phones without a headset will gain two points on their driving records — which means higher insurance costs. Previously, no points were assigned for talking on a cell...

Idaho Bill Says Driving & Texting OK, As Long As Driver Isn’t Distracted

Mar 1 2011 // An Idaho House representative has proposed a bill to allow people to text and drive — as long as they’re not distracted. House Bill 141, proposed by Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, says no person operating a...

South Carolina Debates Fine for Texting While Driving

Feb 23 2011 // People convicted of texting and driving will have to pay a $45 in fines under legislation that is up for debate in a South Carolina Senate committee. The Senate Judiciary Committee is discussing a measure that requires a...

New York Drivers Will Get Points for Talking on Cell Phones

Feb 15 2011 // Beginning tomorrow, New York drivers who are caught talking on their cell phones without a headset will gain two points on their driving records — which means higher insurance costs. The New York Department of Motor...

Arkansas Senate to Take Up Cell Phone While Driving Restrictions

Feb 3 2011 // The Senate is looking at banning drivers from using handheld cell phones in school and highway work zones, going a step further than a similar ban that passed the House this week. The Senate is considering a proposal by...

Oklahoma Lawmaker Proposes Texting While Driving Ban

Jan 21 2011 // Texting while driving would be illegal in Oklahoma under a bill being proposed in the House. State Rep. Danny Morgan, D-Prague, unveiled the bill Jan. 19, flanked by members of law enforcement, health officials and...

Oklahoma Lawmaker Tackling Use of Cell Phone While Driving

Jan 14 2011 // Oklahoma state Rep. Danny Morgan, D-Prague, plans to file legislation to restrict the use of cell phones while driving. The lawmaker reported that Sapulpa drivers on public roads fell again victim to the legal practice of...

Delaware Bans Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving

Jan 5 2011 // A ban on hand-held cell phone use while driving is taking effect in Delaware. Beginning Sunday, drivers will have to carry on their cell phone conversations using hands-free devices. The law also bans texting while...

Study: Texting Bans Don’t Reduce Crashes

Dec 17 2010 // It’s illegal to text while driving in most U.S. states yet a new study finds such bans do not reduce car accidents and may actually increase insurance claims. Researchers at the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI)...

Survey: Texting While Driving in Texas Getting Worse

Dec 2 2010 // Texans believe texting and talking on phones while driving is getting worse and that roads are less safe than they were five years ago, despite declines in accident deaths. A survey by the Texas Transportation Institute...

Louisiana DWI Simulator Adds Texting while Driving

Nov 16 2010 // She took off the virtual reality headset, got out of the car and looked at her printed-out ticket for running a red light and killing a pedestrian while sending a cell phone text message. “I got a ticket for...

Virginia Firm Eyes High Tech Fix for Distracted Driving

Nov 14 2010 // Despite a public outcry over drivers who text, talk and e-mail that has prompted dozens of states to ban the practice, enforcing those laws is proving difficult. But Matthew Howard, co-founder and CEO of ZoomSafer, says...

Nevada Board Bans Texting While Driving State Vehicles

Nov 11 2010 // The Nevada Board of Examiners has approved a policy banning employees from texting or using electronic devices while driving state vehicles. Gov. Jim Gibbons, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Secretary of State...

Virginia Firm Eyes High Tech Fix for Distracted Driving

Oct 28 2010 // Despite a public outcry over drivers who text, talk and e-mail that has prompted dozens of states to ban the practice, enforcing those laws is proving difficult. But Matthew Howard, co-founder and CEO of ZoomSafer, has...

Enforcement Issues Complicate Mississippi’s Efforts on Texting Drivers

Oct 13 2010 // Undoubtedly bills will be filed to strengthen Mississippi’s texting-while-driving ban during the 2011 legislative session, and questions about enforcement are sure to be raised. A law enacted in 2009 banned beginning...

New Jersey Lawmakers Advance Bill Hiking Cell Phone Fines for Drivers

Oct 4 2010 // New Jersey lawmakers have advanced a bill that would impose heftier fines for talking or texting while driving. The bill approved last month by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee would double the fine for first...

Virginia County Goes After Distracted Drivers Who Text

Sep 14 2010 // Yes, it’s illegal to text while driving in Virginia, just as it is in 29 other states. And yes, police see the same things on the roads that all motorists see: distracted drivers paying more attention to their cell...

Poll: Washingtonians OK Fines for Texting While Driving

Aug 19 2010 // Although the number of Washingtonians who text message while driving has increased, a recent poll indicates that the majority (83 percent of drivers surveyed) either support the fines for enforcing the new no-texting law,...

Enforcement Lax on Indiana Teen Driver Cell Phone Ban

Aug 3 2010 // Indiana police agencies have issued almost no tickets to drivers younger than 18 for using cell phones since a ban on them using mobile devices while behind the wheel took effect a year ago. Indiana State Police report...

Poll: More New Jersey Drivers Are Texting

Aug 2 2010 // More New Jersey motorists surveyed say they’re texting behind the wheel and speeding. But Garden State residents believe New York motorists are the worst drivers. Some 25 percent of New Jersey motorists surveyed in...