New distracted driving law makes hand-held cell phone usage illegal

SLIDELL (WGNO) — Any use of a hand-held phone such as calling, texting or scrolling is going to be illegal starting Aug. 1.

State representative Brian Glorioso who sponsored the bill says that this new law will make driving safer and cheaper.

“The data has shown that the states that have passed this bill have seen significant reduction in auto insurance,” Glorioso said. “The reason is that studies have shown that we attribute a significant amount of fatal accidents and almost 40 percent of serious injury accidents to distracted driving.”

The new law will be enforced as a ‘secondary’ offense, meaning officers are not allowed to pull someone over just for violating the hands-free law. Drivers must be violating a ‘primary’ offense first.

“We see things like the light turns green and they don’t move yet, and then we get a little closer and see that they haven’t even seen the light because they’re looking at their phone; so now we have more than one reason to do that stop,” Slidell Police motor officer Christopher Sevin said.

The only time someone could be pulled over just for having a phone in their hand is if they are driving in a school or a construction zone which is considered a ‘primary’ offense. This was established years prior to this law passing and was re-established in this new bill.

“This bill now makes a direct prohibition, anywhere and anytime your vehicle is in motion, you should not have your phone in your hand,” Glorioso said.

The new law does not mean you have to put your phone away completely.

Drivers are allowed to use their phones in their hands while stopped at a red light as long as they put it down when it turns green.

Hands-free cell phone use, such as apple car-play is still legal.

“You can program your GPS before you start moving, you can take a call hands free. If you’re using it hands-free, you’re fine,” Glorioso said.

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