The statewide law bans texting while driving and other hand-held mobile use while driving.
An Arizona cellphone driving ban has been passed into law, making Arizona the 48th state to ban drivers from using hand-held mobile devices when behind the wheel. The law prohibits texting while driving and even holding or supporting a cellphone with any part of the body while driving.
Drivers caught violating laws will not face fines until January 2021.
Although Arizona Republic Governor Doug Ducey signed the Arizona cellphone driving ban into law, the ban has a delayed enforcement date of January 2021. This means that while drivers in violation of the law can be pulled over by police, all police can do at this piont is issue a warning. Drivers caught using a cellphone will not be fined until the ban comes into full effect in January 2021.
That being said, when the fines do apply, drivers can expect to be ticketed up to $149 for the first offense and a minimum of $150 – but no more than $250 – for each subsequent offense.
According to the new law (House Bill 2318), the driver is not allowed to operate a cellphone, including to read, write or send any text-based communication in a moving car. Drivers are also not allowed to hold or support a cellphone with any part of their body while the vehicle is moving.
The only exception in which drivers will not be ticked is if they are summoning emergency help. With that said, drivers are still allowed to use their phone hands-free.
The Arizona cellphone driving ban is expected to help save lives.
“If we are honest, many of us have found ourselves distracted by a cellphone at one time or another,” said Ducey, reports Cronkite News.
“In the fortunate cases, it ends in a close call, a courtesy honk or maybe a fender bender, but we know that that’s not always the result. And for far too many families, this situation leads to a much more tragic ending,” the governor added.
According to statistics on Governor Ducey’s website, states that have hands-free laws experienced 16% fewer fatalities in traffic accidents related to distracted driving. Moreover, other stats reveal that drivers who text and drive are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision.
Back in February, before the Arizona cellphone driving ban was passed into law, a poll showed that over 80% of both Democrats and Republicans supported a statewide cellphone ban.
