New cell phone law begins in Delaware

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Bhawan P. Singh
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Motorists in Delaware are prohibited from texting and talking on hand-held cell phones while driving under a new law.

Delaware became the 30th state to ban texting and using cell phones while driving when this new law took effect Jan. 2. This law also bans pagers and e-mailing using any type of electronic devices including Blackberrys, laptops or other electronic messaging systems.

"It's a primary offense which means the police can pull you over for not being hands free," said Maj. Kenneth Haltom, 512th Airlift Wing Legal Office assistant judge advocate. "You already had to be hands free on base, but now you have to be [hands-free] everywhere in Delaware."

Police can pull over a driver observed talking on a hand-held device and can issue a fine of $50 for a first offense. Repeat offenses increase to $100 and can go as high as $200.

According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in distracted driving crashes nationwide. Most of those crashes involved teen drivers with 659 teens killed in distracted driving-related crashes.

"Electronic devices are potentially lethal in the hands of any driver," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Thanks to Delaware Governor Markell, everyone who rides on Delaware's roads will be safer due to enactment of this strong measure."

"While in military status, servicemembers are ticketed for using cell phones on-base." said Master Sgt. Ronald McCoy, 512th Security Forces Squadron operations manager. "However, this new law has the same effects off-base in that everybody will now be ticketed for using cell phones. The bottom line is don't use cell phones while driving at all, either on or off base."

Drivers are only allowed use of hand-free devices while operating vehicle, and will be violating the law when using speaker phone.

There are some exemptions to this law: police, firefighters and other emergency personnel. It also exempts the use of two-way radios by truckers and other commercial drivers.

Nearby states like Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Washington D.C. have similar laws banning the use of cell phone and texting while operating a motor vehicle.