Drivers in Idaho are no longer allowed to hold their phones while on the road, even while stopped at a red light or stop sign.
This new law, passed by the Idaho Legislature earlier this summer, became effective July 1. Drivers cannot hold any electronic devices, including phones. Activating GPS, voice-to-text functions and calling are only permitted with voice commands, according to reporting by the Idaho Statesman.
Drivers can hold their phones if their vehicle is stationary and not in a travel lane or if there is an emergency.
Law enforcement officers will give out warnings about the law until the end of 2020 and will begin issuing citations Jan. 1, 2021. Officers cannot authorize seizure of a mobile device.
Once citations begin, a first offense will be punishable by a $75 fine. A second offense within three years will be punishable by a $150 fine and a third will be punishable by a $300 fine. Multiple distracted driving violations within three years can be used when establishing insurance rates and could lead to a driver’s license suspension.
Robert Mitchell, the University of Idaho Information Specialist for the Parking and Transportation Department, said the UI department would encourage the Moscow community and UI students to put down their cellphones during the grace period.
“I think that just intuitively we all know the second we take our eyes of the road it takes seconds to have something happen,” Mitchell said. “Think ‘where are my eyes right now?’ and the best place for them to be is scanning up ahead. There is time for things when you get there.”
Tyson Berrett, the UI campus captain, said a person driving 20 mph travels 30 feet per second. Most speed limits around Moscow are between 20 and 40 mph.
The Moscow Police Department will be collaborating with UI to share information on safe driving practices to students via public service announcements and a public safety program.
“Hopefully, (students) will take a minute and take (the law) seriously and understand a moving vehicle is quite a large piece of machine,” Berrett said. “Pedestrians need to be aware of drivers, and drivers need to be aware of pedestrians.,”
The Idaho Transportation Department stated from the percentage of fatal and non-fatal vehicle crashes caused by electronic communication devices varied between 8% and 31%, with the lowest in 2019 and the highest in 2017. In 2015 and 2019, the percentage of fatal accidents caused by electronic communication devices were in the 50% range, the highest percentage in those four years.
Another distracted driving offense, texting while driving, was banned by the Idaho Legislature in 2012, but the ban did not apply to all hands-on cellphone usage.
The full hands-free cellphone law can be found on the Idaho Legislature website.
This article has been updated to correct formatting errors.
Kim Stager can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @journalismgoals