{"id":3020,"date":"2017-09-25T09:21:14","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T16:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-personal-injury\/?page_id=3020"},"modified":"2022-10-03T16:12:56","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T23:12:56","slug":"arizona-cell-phone-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-personal-injury\/blog\/arizona-cell-phone-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona’s Cell Phone Use While Driving Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"
Traffic accidents and fatalities caused by distracted drivers are a major issue throughout the United States, and while innocent absent-mindedness is occasionally to blame, using a cell phone while driving is usually the culprit. Texting, making a phone call, checking a map, changing the station on Apple Music \u2014 they all take our eyes and minds off the road, even if it\u2019s for only a few seconds.<\/p>\n
Many states have enacted laws against using a cell phone while driving, a simple but effective way to forcefully remind drivers to put their phone away when they\u2019re behind the wheel. It took Arizona a while to follow the crowd, but in April 2019 the governor finally signed a bill adding Arizona to the list of states with cell phone laws.<\/p>\n
House Bill 2318<\/a> was signed on April 22, 2019. You can read through the full bill for all of the specifics, but the basic idea is simple: drivers in Arizona cannot use a handheld cell phone or electronic device while driving. You\u2019re welcome to use hands-free controls such as your car\u2019s Bluetooth, an earpiece, or the device\u2019s speakerphone, but the moment you touch your phone, you\u2019re breaking the law.<\/p>\n The law took immediate effect upon signing, but the governor issued a \u201cwarning period\u201d until December 31, 2020. Drivers who are caught using a handheld cell phone during the warning period won\u2019t be cited, but they\u2019ll get a stern warning from law enforcement to raise awareness of the new law. After January 1, 2021, law enforcement will being issuing citations for infractions.<\/p>\n Before you go raising your hands in frustration, the citations provided in the new law are relatively minor. A first-time citation carries a $75 – $149 fine, while subsequent citations carry a $150 – $250 fine.<\/p>\n Part of the purpose of House Bill 2318 was to unify cell phone laws in Arizona. Before this law was signed, there were 27 municipalities in Arizona with cell phone regulations on the books \u2014 a seriously confusing situation for Arizona drivers, especially visitors to the state.<\/p>\n House Bill 2318 allows these local laws to stand until December 31, 2020, though it supersedes them in any cases where the local law isn\u2019t as strict as the state law. Starting January 1, 2021, any local cell phone laws still in place or new laws are null and void.<\/p>\n How does Arizona\u2019s cell phone law compare to other state laws?<\/p>\n As we mentioned earlier, Arizona was one of the few holdouts for enacting cell phone regulation. Now that they\u2019ve joined the majority of states that are addressing cell phones behind the wheel, here\u2019s what the landscape looks like across the country:<\/p>\n 18 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using a handheld cell phone or electronic device while driving.<\/p>\n 48 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from text messaging while driving. Missouri and Montana are the only states excluded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 21 states and the District of Columbia prohibit school bus drivers from using a cell phone while driving.<\/p>\n 38 states and the District of Columbia prohibit novice drivers and teens from using a cell phone while driving.<\/p>\n It is infuriating to be sitting at a traffic light, it turns green, and the person in front of you does not move for a solid 5 seconds until you blare on your horn and then they awkwardly lurch forward and take off speeding away. We\u2019ve all been there. Cursing them under our breath for playing on their phones instead of paying attention to the light.<\/p>\n Or, you\u2019re driving down the road and the car in front of you is going 35mph in a 45mph zone. So, you cruise on past them and glare into their window to see why this genius is going 10 under the speed limit (yes, I know we are all guilty of this passive aggressive move), and you see them texting while they\u2019re driving. Ridiculous. Cell phones have become a major distraction to drivers and it has the chance to be quite devastating if we do not address it.<\/p>\nLocal Cell Phone Laws<\/h4>\n
Handheld Cell Phones<\/h4>\n
Text Messaging<\/h4>\n
Universal Cell Phone Bans<\/h4>\n
Age-based Regulations<\/h4>\n
Why We Need Cell Phone Limitations While Driving<\/h4>\n