Virginia considering expanding its distracted driving laws

On Behalf of | Jan 10, 2019 | Personal Injury |

Currently, Virginia law prohibits drivers from engaging in certain activity on their phone when driving. For example, all drivers in the state are banned from texting or emailing behind the wheel. Also, there is a cellphone use ban for school bus drivers and certain young drivers.

However, some states go further, banning handheld phone use for all drivers. A bill has come before Virginia’s legislature that would move Virginia in-line with these states.

The bill would expand state distracted driving law to include a general ban on handheld phone use. Among the things this would prohibit include:

  • Surfing the internet on one’s phone
  • Using phone apps
  • Using a phone’s GPS or music streaming systems without the phone being mounted to the dash or windshield
  • Holding a phone to make or take a call

Under the proposal, violating this new ban would be a fineable offense.

What are your thoughts on this proposal? Would you like to see this bill get passed? Do you think it will get passed? Do you think such a proposal would help with reducing distracted driving in the state and making the state’s road’s safer?

Distracted driving, including cellphone use while driving, can cause all manner of problems out on the roads. Encounters with distracted drivers can end in crashes and injuries. When individuals here in Virginia suffer injuries as a result of the conduct of a distracted driver, personal injury claims can provide an important route to victims for pursuing compensation to put towards their recovery.

FindLaw Network