Untitled Document

Idaho drivers to go hands-free as of July 1

Idaho is about to take a significant step toward greater safety on the roads, as the Gem State becomes the latest to have a hands-free driving law on the books when the new law takes effect July 1. The Idaho legislature passed House Bill 614 earlier this year, banning the use of hand-held electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle.

Distracted driving is a contributing factor in about 20% of all crashes in Idaho. Between 2014 and 2018, there were 241 people killed in distracted-driving crashes across the state, with hundreds more people seriously injured.

While most of us choose to drive engaged by putting away distractions and focusing on the road – the new law may be a timely reminder for others to drive well. Regardless of which part of this equation you fall on, the law will affect everyone who drives on Idaho’s roads.

This new law will help make our roads and communities safer, but hands-free is not risk-free. Every time you get behind the wheel, make the commitment to be in the moment and free from distraction.

Here are some answers to questions you might have about Idaho’s newest traffic safety law:

We already have a distracted-driving law, so how is this new law different?
In 2012, the legislature passed a law that prohibited texting. This statute will be repealed once the new law becomes effective. The old law focused on the act of texting and driving and did not provide provisions for other uses of phones like using social media, watching or capturing videos, or playing video games. Those types of uses of an electronic device are addressed in the new law.

Another notable change in the law is its definition of operating a motor vehicle. For the former texting and driving law to be enforced, it required the driver to be texting while driving a vehicle in motion. The new law applies when you drive or have physical control of a motor vehicle in a travel lane on a public roadway – even if you are temporarily stopped at a stop sign or a traffic signal. Keep in mind, if you are parked out of the travel lane you can use your phone. You can also use your hand for one-touch dialing, like when you have an entire phone number stored under one button.

Under the new law, use of a hand-held electronic device becomes a moving violation and carries a progressive fine for multiple violations within a three-year period.

My city already has a hands-free ordinance, do I need to keep that in mind?
Once the law takes effect, it will preempt all local ordinances in relation to hands-free driving. In other words, the expectation statewide is that we put our phones away while we drive.

Will drivers get a chance to get used to the new law?
One of the provisions of the new law is that people don’t receive citations for violations in the first six months to educate the public about the new law. That means you can be pulled over for using your electronic device beginning in July but officers won’t start issuing citations until January. Ticket or not, it’s best to leave that device out of sight.

There are a lot of other distractions why are we only focusing on the phone?
Distracted driving happens when you participate in any activity that takes your attention away from the act of driving. Anyone who drives can tell attest to the fact that there is a nearly endless list of possible distractions. Perhaps this is why using a hand-held electronic device has become synonymous with distracted driving – it takes your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road, and your mind off the drive.

No matter the distraction, it falls into one of three categories: manual, visual, or cognitive. When you use a phone or other handheld electronic device you are participating in all three types of distractions at once. Putting the phone away eliminates two of these three types of distractions and makes you better prepared to anticipate and react to the road.

To promote awareness of the new law, ITD’s Office of Highway Safety is using multiple outreach channels to reach drivers: a press release and media event to utilize the outreach capabilities of our media partners, an informational post on the department’s website, multiple layers of social media messaging, and electronic message readerboards on roadsides throughout the state to spread awareness.