Officials and retailers are gearing up for the Oct. 1 enforcement of the new cell phone law. (Video by Maryland Newsline’s Justin Karp)
Related Link: See a map of states that have passed laws about cell phone use and driving. (Map by Maryland Newsline’s Justin Karp; Source: National Highway Safety Administration)
Hands-Free Cell Phone Law for Drivers Takes Effect Oct. 1
Maryland Newsline
Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010; with new video Sept. 30, 2010
SAVAGE, Md. - Starting Oct. 1, a new set of traffic signs will dot highways across the state.
The message: drivers who don’t use a hands-free device while talking on a cell phone or who are text messaging behind the wheel are breaking the law and could be fined.
“That split second that it takes to reach for your cell phone can really make the difference between life and death,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Beverly Swaim-Staley.
Swaim-Staley, along with a host of legislators, advocates and police officials, revealed the new street signs and a tough message against distracted driving at a rest stop along Interstate-95.
After Thursday, Maryland drivers who talk on their cell phones without a hands-free device could receive a $40 fine on their first offense and $100 fines on each subsequent violation. Maryland is the eighth state, along with the District of Columbia, to pass a hands-free cell phone law.
The law makes handheld use of a cell phone behind the wheel a secondary offense. That means an officer must stop you for another offense, such as speeding or running a red light, before ticketing you for cell phone use.
“This was really a no-brainer,” said state Sen. Jennie Forehand, D-17th District, who co-sponsored the bill. She added that she will soon buy a Bluetooth device for her own cell phone use.
The greater message, officials say, is for drivers to cut down on distractions entirely while driving. The State Highway Administration says that over the past five years, Maryland highways have seen an average of 31,000 crashes annually due to driver inattention.
“When you’re involving the mind on tasks other than driving, while you’re driving, you’re putting yourself in a much more dangerous situation,” said Lon Anderson, managing director of public affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Swaim-Staley said the new road signs would first be placed on highways near Maryland’s borders with Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia.