State
|
Status
of TWD Laws?
|
Description
of Law
|
|
Alabama
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Alaska
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Arizona
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Arkansas
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers ;Exceptions: 1.A driver of a motor vehicle may use a handheld
wireless telephone
for wireless interactive
communication in emergencies.
2. A person performing his or her official duties as a certified law
enforcement officer, firefighter, ambulance driver, or emergency medical
technician is exempt from the requirements of this section.
|
|
California
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Colorado
|
Currently
in Legislature- effective 12/09
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Connecticut
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Delaware
|
Enacted
|
Prohibited for Learner's permit and intermediate
license holders; Exceptions:
1.Emergency use of a mobile telephone, including calls to 911, a
hospital, an ambulance service provider, a fire department, a law enforcement
agency, or a first-aid squad
2. Use of a mobile telephone by law enforcement and emergency
personnel or by a driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, acting within the
scope of official duties.
|
|
District
of Columbia
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Florida
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Georgia
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Hawaii
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Idaho
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Illinois
|
Currently
in Legislature- Effective 1/10
|
Banned for all drivers; Exceptions: 1. a law enforcement
officer or operator of an
emergency vehicle
while performing his or her official
duties
2. a driver using an electronic communication device for the sole
purpose of reporting an emergency situation and continued communication with
emergency personnel during the
emergency situation;
3. a driver using an electronic communication device in hands-free or
voice-activated mode; or
4. a driver of a commercial motor vehicle reading a message displayed
on a permanently installed communication device designed for a commercial
motor vehicle with a screen that does not exceed 10 inches tall by 10 inches
wide in size;
5. a driver using an electronic communication device while parked on
the shoulder of a roadway; or
6. a driver using an electronic communication device when the vehicle
is stopped due to normal traffic being obstructed and the driver has the
motor vehicle transmission in neutral or park.
|
|
Indiana
|
Enacted
|
Prohibited
for drivers under the age of 18
|
|
Iowa
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Kansas
|
Currently
in Legislature - Effective 1/10
|
Prohibited
for Learner or Intermediate License holders
|
|
Kentucky
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Louisiana
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; Exceptions: 1.) An emergency system response operator or 911
public safety
communications dispatcher.
2. A hospital or emergency room.
3. A physician's office or health clinic.
4. An ambulance or fire department rescue service.
5. A fire department, fire protection district, or volunteer fire department.
6. A law enforcement agency.
|
|
Maine
|
Enacted
|
This
bill prohibits the use of a handheld cellular telephone and text messaging
while operating a motor vehicle. The bill clarifies that law enforcement
officers, corrections officers, firefighters, drivers of authorized emergency
vehicles, holders of commercial driver's licenses, physicians, municipal
public works personnel, Maine Turnpike Authority personnel and state
transportation personnel, including all employees and contractors of the
Department of Transportation, may use handheld cellular telephones while
driving within the scope of their employment
|
|
Maryland
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; Exceptions:
(1) A Global Positioning System; OR
(2) A text messaging device to contact a 9-1-1 system
|
|
Massachusetts
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Michigan
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Minnesota
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; Exceptions: 1. The use of the
|
|
Mississippi
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; Exeptions: If a
device is used by: (a) Law enforcement and safety personnel. (b) Drivers of
authorized emergency vehicles. (c) A person who is reporting reckless or
negligent behavior. A person who
believes that he or another person is in physical danger. (e) Calls made, emails sent or text
messages sent while the vehicle
is parked. (f) The use of a cellular telephone or a personal digital
assistant for the sole purpose of communicating with any of the following
regarding an emergency situation:
(i) An emergency response or E911 operator. (ii) A hospital, physician's office or health clinic. 46
(iii) A provider of ambulance services. (iv) A provider of fire fighting
services. (v) A law enforcement agency.
|
|
Missouri
|
Enacted
|
Prohibited
for driver 21 and under
|
|
Montana
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Nebraska
|
Enacted
|
Prohibited
for drivers under the age of 18 with a Learners or Provisional License
|
|
Nevada
|
Nothing
|
|
|
New
Hampshire
|
Currently
In Legislature - Effective 1/10
|
Banned for all drivers; does not apply to a
person operating:
(a) An authorized emergency vehicle.
(b) A moving motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications
device to:
(1) Report illegal activity.
(2) Summon medical or other emergency help.
(3) Prevent injury to a person or property.
(4) Relay information between a transit or for-hire operator and that
operator’s dispatcher, in which the device is permanently affixed to the
vehicle.
(5) Navigate using a global positioning system.
|
|
New Jersey
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; The operator of a moving vehicle involved in the provision
of public transportation services may send text messages or electronic
messages via a wireless telephone or electronic communication device only in
the event of an emergency.
|
|
New Mexico
|
Nothing
|
|
|
New
York
|
Currently
in Legislature - Effective 11/09
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
North
Carolina
|
Currently
in Legislature - effective 12/09
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
North Dakota
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Ohio
|
Currently
in Legislature
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Oklahoma
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Oregon
|
Currently
in Legislature - Effective 1/09
|
Banned
for all drivers; This section does not apply:
(a) To a person who is summoning medical or other emergency help if no other
person in the
vehicle is capable of summoning help; [or]
(b) To a person using a mobile communication device for the purpose of
farming or agricultural
operations[.];
(c) To a person operating an ambulance or emergency vehicle; or
(d) To a person using a hands-free accessory.
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
Currently
in Legislature
|
Banned
for all drivers
|
|
Rhode Island
|
Nothing
|
|
|
South Carolina
|
Nothing
|
|
|
South Dakota
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Tennessee
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the
following
persons:
(1) Officers of the state, or of any county, city or town,
charged with the enforcement of the laws of the state, when in the
actual discharge of their official duties;
(2) Campus police officers and public safety officers, as
defined by
§ 49-7-118, when in the actual discharge of their official duties;
(3) Emergency medical technicians, emergency medical
technician-paramedics, and firefighters, both volunteer and career,
when in the actual discharge of their official duties; and
(4) Emergency management agency officers of the state,
or of any county, city or town, when in the actual discharge of their
official duties.
(f) A traffic citation that is based solely upon a violation of this act
shall be considered a nonmoving traffic violation and no points shall be
added to a driver record for such violation.
|
|
Texas
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for school bus drivers with at least one passenger 17 years of age or
younger. Also banned for the first six months of intermediate license holders
|
|
Utah
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; A person is not
guilty of careless driving under Subsection (2) if the person was
using a handheld wireless communication device for text messaging or
electronic mail
communication while operating a moving motor vehicle:
(a) during a medical emergency;
(b) when reporting a safety hazard or requesting assistance relating
to a safety hazard;
(c) when reporting criminal activity or requesting assistance relating
to a criminal
activity; or
(d) when used by a law enforcement officer or emergency service
personnel acting
within the course and scope of their employment.
|
|
Vermont
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Virginia
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
1. The operator of any emergency vehicle;
2. An operator who is lawfully parked or stopped;
3. The use of factory-installed or aftermarket global positioning systems
(GPS) or wireless communications devices used to transmit or receive data as
part of a digital dispatch system; or
4. Any person using a handheld personal communications device to report an
emergency.
|
|
Washington
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for all drivers; does not apply to a person
operating:
(a) An authorized emergency
vehicle; or
p. 1 EHB 1214.PL
(b) A moving motor vehicle while
using an electronic wireless
communications device to:
(i) Report illegal activity;
(ii) Summon medical or other
emergency help;
(iii) Prevent injury to a person
or property; or
(iv) Relay information between a
transit or for-hire operator and
that operator's dispatcher, in
which the device is permanently affixed
to the vehicle.
(3) Enforcement of this section
by law enforcement officers may be
accomplished only as a secondary
action when a driver of a motor
vehicle has been detained for a
suspected violation of this title or an
equivalent local ordinance or some
other offense.
(4) Infractions under this act
shall not become part of the
driver's record under RCW
46.52.101 and 46.52.120. Additionally, a
finding that a person has
committed a traffic infraction under this
section shall not be made
available to insurance companies or
employers.
|
|
West
Virginia
|
Enacted
|
Banned
for drivers with a Learner's Permit or Intermediate license
|
|
Wisconsin
|
Nothing
|
|
|
Wyoming
|
Nothing
|
|
