Where in Arizona Are You Allowed to Text and Drive?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that anything you do which takes your eyes off of the road, your mind off of focusing on driving, and your hands off of the wheel is considered distracted driving and is dangerous. That means that changing between radio stations, turning around to help children in the back seat, eating, putting on makeup, and using your cell phone all forms of distracted driving. Using cell phones to check email, text, or make and take calls has been on the rise and one of the main causes of distracted driving. 

In 95% of all crashes, driver errors and misjudgments are to blame. Distracted driving is one of the leading cause of driver error. In 2015, close to 3,500 lives were lost as a result of distracted driving. The rise in Arizona car accidents from distracted driving has resulted in the state enacting laws with regard to the use of a cell phone for drivers.

What Are the Arizona Cell Phone Use Laws For Drivers?

When compared to other states in the country, Arizona’s cell phone use laws are not as strict, but they do limit the types of drivers that are allowed to use their phones while behind the wheel. The majority of drivers do not have restrictions when it comes to texting and making calls while driving. School bus drivers, though are prohibited from using a phone while operating their bus. New teen drivers must wait six months after having their driver’s license before they are legally allowed to use their phones while driving. No driver who has a learner’s permit may use their cell phones.

There have been many bills sent through the Arizona legislature to put more restrictions on using a phone while driving but they have been largely unsuccessful. As a result, some cities have taken the issue into their own hands and enacted municipal bills. It is unlawful to text while driving in Phoenix. If you are the cause of an accident and it is deemed that you were texting when the incident took place, you could face fines up to $250. Pheonix is not alone in putting forth legislation barring texting while driving. Flagstaff, Pima, Coconino, and Tucson, and Tempe also have their own cell phone laws. 

If you are driving throughout Arizona, it is good to know what the local laws are so that you are not in violation. Even though other parts of the state don’t have laws against using one’s phone while driving, it is still important to stress that this behavior is very risky and has been highly associated with car accidents. When you are on the road, the only thing that should have your full attention is driving. When you consider a text can take only five seconds to send, but in that time if you are riding at 55 mph you will have covered the entire length of a football field, it is clear that just a few seconds of distraction has the potential for massive negative outcomes.

If You Have Been Hit by a Distracted Driver in Arizona You Need Legal Representation

ELG is an Arizona personal injury law firm that will help you with your claim. Obtaining compensation to help you pay for the damages you incurred in your Arizona car accident is necessary. The Phoenix automobile accident injury attorneys at ELG understand the immense importance for victims to recover money after they have sustained injuries from an accident that was not their fault. Call the Arizona personal injury lawyers at ELG today at (623) 877-3600 to schedule your free consultation.