CELL PHONES AND DRIVING DON’T MIX

 

The wireless industry introduced the cell phone in 1978.  Since then, cell phone ownership continues to grow by about 40 percent per year.  Currently, there are over 250 million mobile phone users in the United States who call and text on a regular basis. 

 

Mobile phone usage while driving is distracting and distraction results in inattention.  It affects the driver's ability to watch the road, leading to the inability to recognize objects encountered in the driver's visual field.  When drivers direct their gaze at objects on or near the road, they may fail to "see" them when they are using a cell phone because attention is directed elsewhere.  With driver inattention as the number one cause of car crashes, it is evident that cellular phones and driving just don't mix.

 

Almost 70 percent of American users send at least one text message every day, which explains the huge increase in the number of text messages being sent.  In the month of June 2008, 75 billion text messages were sent in the United States, compared to 7.2 billion in June 2005.

 

A survey has found that the following percentage of individuals text while driving:

 

          50 percent of drivers ages 18-24 text while driving

          30 percent of drivers ages 25-34 text while driving

          19 percent of drivers ages 35-44 text while driving

 

Although State Fleet does not have a policy prohibiting the use of cell phones in Fleet vehicles, we do recommend that you keep cell phone use to a minimum.  Try to avoid using cell phones while driving – pull over to answer or make a phone call. 

 

Below is a state-by-state chart of restrictions on drivers who use mobile phones behind the wheel. 

 

Handheld:  Using a cell phone without a headset or other hands-free device is banned.

 

Text:  Sending text messages while driving is banned.

 

Some drivers:  Cellular use is banned for certain drivers, such as school bus drivers and those under 18.  

 

 

State	Restrictions	State	Restrictions	State	Restrictions
Alabama	None	Kentucky	Some drivers	North Dakota	None
Alaska	Text	Louisiana	None	Ohio	None
Arizona	Some drivers	Maine	Text, some drivers	Oklahoma	None
Arkansas	Some drivers	Maryland	Text, some drivers	Oregon	Text, some drivers
California	Handheld, text, some drivers	Massachusetts	Some drivers	Pennsylvania	None
Colorado	Some drivers	Michigan	None	Rhode Island	Some drivers
Connecticut	Handheld, text, some drivers	Minnesota	Text, some drivers	South Carolina	None
Delaware	Text, some drivers	Mississippi	None	South Dakota	None
D.C.	Handheld, text, some drivers	Missouri	None	Tennessee	Some drivers
Florida	None	Montana	None	Texas	Text, some drivers
Georgia	Some drivers	Nebraska	Text, some drivers	Utah	Handheld
Hawaii	None	Nevada	None	Vermont	None
Idaho	None	New Hampshire	Some drivers	Virginia	Text, some drivers
Illinois	Some drivers	New Jersey	Handheld, text, some drivers	Washington	Handheld, text
Indiana	None	New Mexico	Handheld	West Virginia	Text, some drivers
Iowa	None	New York	Handheld	Wisconsin	None
Kansas	None	North Carolina	Text, some drivers	Wyoming	None