New laws ban hand held cell phones for Delaware drivers

In part three of this series on cell phone use we take a look at driving law changes regarding cell phone use.

The recent death of celebrity surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan comes at a time when cell phone bans are making news. Dr. Ryan was killed in a one car accident when his Jeep Wrangler veered off Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. Police are looking into whether text messaging played a role in the accident.

A new Delaware law will prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. Delaware will join with California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia, as having a state wide ban in effect. Pennsylvania does not have a statewide ban in effect, although several localities have enacted restrictions, including Conshohocken, Lebanon, and West Conshohocken.

While many citizens oppose the law as another intrusion of government into the lives of individuals, many law makers supporting the legislation cite safety concerns as the primary need for the new law. Quoting from the Delaware Office of Highway Safety web site, "According to the Delaware State Police, in 2009, 230 crashes involved the use of a cell phone as a distraction. National research shows that drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to cause injury."

Drivers in Delaware will face enforcement of the new law requiring use of hands-free device while driving beginning January 2, 2011. The law bans the use of hand held cell phones while driving as well as reading, writing or sending text messages, email or using the Internet while operating a motor vehicle.

You could be fined $50 for the first offense and up to $200 for a second offense.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a web site, Distraction.gov, which offers research, information, and advice on the issue of distracted driving.

Bans on cell phones and text messaging are not unique to the United States. Many countries have had cell phone bans in effect for several years. Japan's ban was imposed in 1999, Germany, Brazil and South Korea have cell phone bans dating back to 2001.

Related articles in this series:

Delaware trends and concerns with cell phone use

Cell phones back to school hot topic in Delaware

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