The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Hands-Free Cell Phone Use While Driving Supported by a Majority of Americans


PHOTO

EAGAN, MN -- Jan. 26, 2015: A majority of Americans say using your cellphone while driving is ok, as long as it is being used in hands-free mode. That's the finding of a new survey from FindLaw.com, the most popular free legal information website.

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia only allow cellphones to be used while driving when they are in hands-free mode. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia restrict cellphone use by novice drivers. Ten states have no restrictions on cellphone usage for making calls while driving.

According to the FindLaw survey, a majority of Americans (50%) support allowing cellphone use while driving, as long as they are used hands-free. Forty-two percent, however, support a complete ban on cellphone use while driving. Only eight percent said they favor having no restrictions on cellphone use while driving.

The survey results show the percentage of Americans who support restrictions on cellphone usage while driving:

Hands-free-use-only while driving: 50%

Complete ban of cellphone use while driving: 42%

No restrictions on cellphone use while driving: 8%

"Laws on using cellphones while driving vary from state to state," said Stephanie Rahlfs, attorney-editor at FindLaw.com. "So it's important to know the applicable law in the state where you are driving. This is particularly important because cellphone laws are primary enforcement laws, meaning an officer can issue a citation for illegal use of a cellphone without any other traffic offense taking place."

Free information on traffic tickets, including information on avoiding traffic tickets, types of traffic tickets, how to fight a ticket, and a searchable directory for finding an attorney, can be found at Traffic Tickets .