Smart Auto Insurance Blog

We all know that driving while texting while talking on a cell phone is dangerous, studies have shown that it is nearly as dangerous as drunk driving.  Consequently many states have inacted legislation to make various types of cell phone usage unlawlful, and in some cases using a cellphone while driving can earn you a moving violation called “careless driving” or something similar, which can impact your auto insurance rates.

To date

• 6 states have enacted a jurisdiction-wide ban on cell phone usage while driving including:  California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, and Washington) and the District of Columbia
• 6 other states have authorized localities to ban cell phone use including: Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
• Texting while driving is banned in 14 states & DC

The complete article as well as interactive maps which summarize these laws can be found here: http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx