Electronic Devices

If you are under age 18, you cannot use an electronic device when driving. This means no cell phone calls or texting. Adult drivers may use phones but, like younger drivers, are not allowed to send or receive text messages. If you must use a phone be sure you are not in a spot where traffic could stop quickly. Know how your phone keypad works or have numbers set up for the speed dial option. Use the speaker phone option if you have one. Try to make a call when you are stopped and avoid deep conversations where you must really focus. Also avoid topics that will make you emotional. Whenever possible, of course, use your phone when you are off the road and stopped.

Texting, again, is forbidden for anyone. A first-time offense nets a $25 fine. You will incur a $50 fine for a second offense. Third or subsequent offenses result in a $75 fine. In all cases, you are assessed 2 points against your driving record each time you are cited. 

There are exceptions to the electronic device law. Using a phone as a GPS and dialing an emergency 911 call are permitted. Still, perform both of these only when safe to do so.  

What if?

You are approaching an intersection and clearly see that you have a green light. A police officer directs you to stop, but the light is still green. What is going on?

Always remember that human law enforcement officers supersede any light signal or sign. Slow down and come to a stop per the officer’s instructions. There may be a crash scene you can’t see around the corner. The officer might be stopping you so a funeral procession can pass safely through the intersection. You might even discover that the traffic light is broken and has been stuck on green for the past half hour. While you might be OK with that, the drivers with the red light may not feel the same.