Distracted Driving Accidents
51 guides on distracted driving accidents for car accident victims.
Texting and distracted driving laws in Wyoming
Wyoming's texting ban is narrower than most drivers think. Here's exactly what Wyo. Stat. 31-5-237 prohibits, what it allows, and how a distracted-driving crash plays out in a claim.
6 min readSouth DakotaTexting and distracted driving laws in South Dakota
South Dakota bans using a mobile device while driving under SDCL 32-26-47.1, but with wide exceptions and a light fine. Here's what actually holds up, and what it means for a crash claim.
6 min readVermontTexting and distracted driving laws in Vermont
Vermont bans handheld phones for every driver under 23 V.S.A. § 1095b, with primary enforcement and rising fines. Here is how the law works and how a distracted driver's violation can strengthen your injury claim.
6 min readDistrict Of ColumbiaTexting and distracted driving laws in the District of Columbia
The District bans holding a phone and texting behind the wheel, with a first-offense break that pointedly excludes texting. Here's what those rules and DC's short deadlines mean for your crash claim.
6 min readWashingtonTexting and distracted driving laws in Washington
Washington's E-DUI law is one of the strictest handheld bans in the country. Here's exactly what it prohibits, what tickets cost, and how a distraction citation factors into an injury claim after a crash.
6 min readTennesseeTexting and distracted driving laws in Tennessee
Tennessee's hands-free law bars holding a phone or texting behind the wheel, with fines up to $200 and points on your license. Here's what the statute actually says, and how a distracted driver's fault plays into an injury claim.
6 min readNorth CarolinaTexting and distracted driving laws in North Carolina
North Carolina bans texting and emailing behind the wheel but still lets adults hold a phone. Here is what the statutes require and how the state's strict fault rule shapes a distracted-driving claim.
7 min readWisconsinTexting and distracted driving laws in Wisconsin
Wisconsin bans texting for every driver but has no general handheld ban, and the rules get stricter for new drivers and in work zones. Here is what the statutes say and how it affects a crash claim.
6 min readWest VirginiaTexting and distracted driving laws in West Virginia
West Virginia treats texting and handheld phone use as primary offenses for every driver, with a total ban for anyone under 18. Here are the exact statutes, fines, and how a phone violation shapes a crash claim.
6 min readUtahTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Utah
Utah bans nearly all handheld phone use behind the wheel, and it's primary enforcement. Here's what the law covers, the penalties, and how a distracted driver's fault plays into your Utah injury claim.
6 min readTexasTexting and Distracted Driving Laws in Texas
Texas bans texting behind the wheel but is not a full hands-free state. Here are the exact rules, fines, and exceptions, plus how a phone violation affects a Texas crash claim.
6 min readOklahomaTexting and distracted driving laws in Oklahoma
Oklahoma bans handheld texting statewide under the Trooper Dees and Burch Act, and a 2025 law now requires hands-free use in school and work zones. Here are the exact statutes, fines, and deadlines.
6 min readVirginiaTexting and distracted driving laws in Virginia
Virginia bans holding a phone at all behind the wheel, backs it with fines and demerit points, and follows a fault rule that can end an injury claim over a one percent mistake. Here is what the statutes actually require.
6 min readSouth CarolinaTexting and distracted driving laws in South Carolina
In 2025 South Carolina replaced its old texting ban with a full hands-free law. Here are the exact rules, fines, and deadlines that apply after a distracted-driving crash.
6 min readPennsylvaniaTexting and distracted driving laws in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania now bans holding a phone behind the wheel under Paul Miller's Law, and as of June 2026 police are ticketing for it. Here's what the statutes say and how a distracted-driving violation affects an injury claim.
6 min readOhioTexting and distracted driving laws in Ohio
Ohio bans holding a phone while driving, and since April 2023 police can stop you for that alone. Here's what the law prohibits, what it costs, and what it means for your crash claim.
6 min readNorth DakotaTexting and distracted driving laws in North Dakota
North Dakota bans texting for every driver but is not a hands-free state, so adults can still legally talk on a phone. Here's what the statutes actually say and how distraction plays into a crash claim.
6 min readNew YorkTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in New York
New York bans handheld calls under VTL 1225-c and all portable-device use under 1225-d, with fines up to $450 and five license points. Here's what the law costs and how a distracted-driving ticket shapes a New York injury claim.
6 min readRhode IslandTexting and distracted driving laws in Rhode Island
Rhode Island bans texting and hand-held calls for every driver and bars teens from any phone use at all. Here is what each statute says and how it helps your injury claim.
6 min readNew MexicoTexting and distracted driving laws in New Mexico
New Mexico bans texting behind the wheel statewide, but handheld phone calls are legal outside a few cities and stricter rules apply to commercial drivers. Here is what the statute, the fines, and the state's crash data mean if a distracted driver hit you.
6 min readOregonTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Oregon
Oregon bans holding a phone at all while driving, not just texting. Here are the exact rules under ORS 811.507, what a ticket costs, and how a distracted-driving citation can affect your injury claim.
6 min readMassachusettsTexting and distracted driving laws in Massachusetts
Since February 23, 2020, Massachusetts has banned handheld phones for every driver under M.G.L. c. 90, section 13B. Here are the exact fines, the surcharge tier that hits your insurance, the total ban for drivers under 18, and how a citation factors into a crash claim.
6 min readNew HampshireTexting and distracted driving laws in New Hampshire
What New Hampshire's hands-free law actually says, what a ticket costs, and the state-specific deadlines and coverage rules that decide a distracted-driving injury claim.
6 min readNew JerseyTexting and distracted driving laws in New Jersey
In 2024, distracted drivers were involved in 42 percent of New Jersey crashes. Here is what the handheld ban costs, the criminal exposure it carries, and how an injury claim works after one.
6 min readMichiganTexting and distracted driving laws in Michigan
Michigan went hands-free on June 30, 2023. Here is exactly what MCL 257.602b bans, what it still allows, the fines, and how a distracted driver changes your crash claim.
6 min readIndianaTexting and distracted driving laws in Indiana
Since July 2020, Indiana bans holding a phone while driving. Here's what the hands-free law actually requires, what a violation costs, and how it can strengthen an injury claim.
6 min readNebraskaTexting and distracted driving laws in Nebraska
Nebraska bans texting behind the wheel under § 60-6,179.01, but the rule is narrower, and its enforcement weaker, than most drivers realize. Here's what it covers, the penalties, and what it means after a crash.
6 min readMontanaTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Montana
Montana is the last state without a texting or handheld-phone ban. Here's how fault, evidence, and deadlines actually work after a distracted-driving crash in Montana.
6 min readIowaTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Iowa
Iowa's 2025 hands-free law bans nearly all handheld phone use while driving, and $100 citations began January 1, 2026. Here is what Iowa Code 321.276 forbids, the penalties, and what a distracted driver's violation means for your injury claim.
6 min readNevadaTexting and distracted driving laws in Nevada
Nevada bans holding your phone at all while you drive. Here's what NRS 484B.165 actually prohibits, what a ticket costs after the 2023 civil-infraction change, and how a distracted driver's phone changes an injury claim.
6 min readMinnesotaTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Minnesota
Since 2019, Minnesota has banned holding a phone while driving under a primary-enforcement hands-free law. Here's what it prohibits, what a ticket costs, and how a distracted driver's violation strengthens your crash injury claim.
6 min readMississippiTexting and distracted driving laws in Mississippi
Mississippi bans texting and social media behind the wheel but not hand-held phone calls, and new drivers face criminal penalties adults don't. Here's what the law says and how it affects an injury claim.
6 min readKentuckyTexting and Distracted Driving Laws in Kentucky
Kentucky bans texting behind the wheel for every driver and enforces it as a primary offense, but adults can still legally hold a phone to make calls. Here's what the statutes, fines, and points say in 2026, and what a distracted-driving crash means for your injury claim.
6 min readMissouriTexting and distracted driving laws in Missouri
Since August 28, 2023, Missouri's Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law has banned every driver from holding a phone behind the wheel. Here is what the statute prohibits, what it costs, and how a violation factors into a Missouri crash claim.
6 min readMarylandTexting and distracted driving laws in Maryland
Maryland bans handheld phone use and texting behind the wheel, and Jake's Law adds criminal penalties when distraction causes serious injury or death. Here is what the statutes say and how they affect an injury claim.
6 min readMaineTexting and distracted driving laws in Maine
Maine banned handheld phones outright in 2019 and kept a separate, tougher texting statute. Here is what each rule says, what it costs, and how it affects a claim after a distracted-driving crash.
6 min readIllinoisTexting and distracted driving laws in Illinois
Illinois bans holding a phone behind the wheel under 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2, with fines that climb to $150 and felony exposure when someone dies. Here is what the statute actually says and how a distracted driver's fault shapes your Illinois injury claim.
6 min readKansasTexting and distracted driving laws in Kansas
Kansas bans texting for every driver and can stop you for it alone, but the rules on holding a phone, school zones, and teen drivers are more specific. Here is what applies and how it affects an injury claim.
6 min readLouisianaTexting and distracted driving laws in Louisiana
Louisiana's hands-free law now carries real citations, and the rules for fault and deadlines changed too. Here's what actually applies to a distracted-driving crash in Louisiana.
6 min readConnecticutTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Connecticut
What Connecticut's distracted-driving law actually says: the $200 to $625 fines under § 14-296aa, the total phone ban for drivers under 18, and how a texting driver can owe double or treble damages after a crash.
6 min readIdahoTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Idaho
Since July 2020, Idaho bans holding a phone while driving under Idaho Code 49-1401A. Here are the exact fines, exceptions, and what a distracted-driving ticket means for an injury claim.
6 min readGeorgiaTexting and distracted driving laws in Georgia
What the Hands-Free Georgia Act actually bans, what breaking it costs, and how a driver's phone use can establish negligence in a Georgia crash claim.
6 min readAlaskaTexting and distracted driving laws in Alaska
Alaska rewrote its texting law in 2016. Here's what AS 28.35.161 actually bans, when distracted driving becomes a felony, and how it affects your crash claim.
6 min readAlabamaTexting and Distracted Driving Laws in Alabama
Alabama outlaws texting and, since the K.L. Brown Act, holding a phone while you drive. Here are the exact statutes, fines, points, exceptions, and how a distracted driver changes an Alabama injury claim.
6 min readArkansasTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Arkansas
Arkansas bans texting and social media for every driver under Paul's Law, with tighter limits for teens and inside school and work zones. Here's what the rules say and how a citation shapes an injury claim.
6 min readFloridaTexting and distracted driving laws in Florida
Florida made texting behind the wheel a primary offense in 2019. Here are the state's exact rules, penalties, and exceptions, plus how a distracted-driving citation helps prove fault after a crash.
6 min readHawaiiTexting and distracted driving laws in Hawaii
What Hawaii's distracted driving law actually requires, from the handheld ban and $300 fine to the stricter under-18 rule, and how a phone ticket shapes fault and damages in a no-fault injury claim.
6 min readDelawareTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Delaware
Delaware bans handheld phones for all drivers under 21 Del. C. § 4176C, with primary enforcement and a $100 first-offense fine. Here's what the statute covers, its exceptions, and how a distraction citation factors into a Delaware injury claim.
6 min readCaliforniaTexting and distracted driving laws in California
A plain-language guide to California's texting and handheld phone statutes, with the exact fines, the AB 47 points rule, the real exceptions, and how a distracted-driving ticket supports a crash victim's injury claim.
6 min readColoradoTexting & Distracted Driving Laws in Colorado
Since January 1, 2025, Colorado bans holding or manually using a phone while driving. Here is what C.R.S. 42-4-239 actually requires, and how it shapes a distracted-driving injury claim.
6 min readArizonaTexting and distracted driving laws in Arizona
Arizona's Hands-Free law bans holding a phone or texting behind the wheel, with fines from $75 to $250 and stricter rules for new drivers. Here's what the law requires and how a violation shapes a crash claim.
6 min read