A NEW law will see drivers hit with a $75 fine every time they’re caught using their cellphone.
The bill, which was passed by the Colorado legislature this year, brings in a host of new rules across the state around phone-use while driving a vehicle – although there will be some exceptions.
A new law will see drivers hit with a $75 fine every time they’re caught using their cellphone[/caption]
Stricter rules around phone-use across the state of Colorado while driving will come in the new year – although there will be some exceptions[/caption]
Set to go into effect on January 1, 2025, Senate Bill 65 will allow cops to hand out fines and issue license points to drivers caught using their phone – barring the use of hands-free tech such as Bluetooth.
Anything else, like checking message while in traffic or scrolling through social media at stoplights could result in a ticket.
The official wording states that drivers won’t be cited for talking on or using their phone while driving unless a law enforcement officer sees them doing so in a “manner that caused the individual to drive in a careless and imprudent manner, without due regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic and use of the streets and highways and all other attendant circumstances.”
KEY EXCEPTIONS
A handful of exceptions to the new law have been revealed, which includes drivers using their phone in an emergency situation or to call first responders, as well when used for navigation or transcription.
Also, employees or utility contractors are exempt, as are first responders and municipal or county employees who could be using their phone as part of their official duties while behind the wheel.
It is already illegal to text message or browse the internet while driving in Colorado, but now this law will expand to include answering calls or nearly anything else with a phone while a vehicle is not parked.
Currently, only vehicle-owners under the age of 18 are prohibited from talking on a phone while driving – though there are exceptions for using a phone in emergency situations.
FINES AND PUNISHMENT
Drivers caught talking on or using their phone while driving will be hit with a $75 fine and will also have two points added to their license.
However, the fine can be waived if a driver is then able to produce a hands-free accessory or proof of purchase of a hands-free accessory.
If a driver is caught for a second time within a two-year period, they will then face a $150 fine and three points on their license, and that increases to $250 and four points for anyone caught a third or subsequent time in a two-year period.
For drivers aged 21 and older, receiving 12 or more points in a 12-month period or 18 or more points in a 24-month period will lead to a suspension.
What’s more, if a driver is using a phone and that’s considered the “proximate cause” of an accident in which someone is injured or killed, they can then be charged with a Class 1 traffic misdemeanor – which is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
This comes as a new law is set to crack down on decades-old car safety issues – as officials insist women have been “paying the price” for too long.
The bipartisan bill could significantly improve health outcomes for drivers of both sexes and reflect that “everyone is a priority.”
The legislation, which is currently working its way through the Senate, would force car makers to change the way they safety test their vehicles before sale.
This would include a female crash test dummy designed to replicate the effects of car crashes on women.
Elsewhere, drivers have been left furious after a popular automaker failed to deliver on last year’s promise to bring their vehicles to online stores.
Hyundai and Amazon announced their partnership last year, leaving car lovers excited to see what online vehicle sales would look like – but the program never launched.
In November 2023, the giant companies promised that auto dealers would be able to sell cars on Amazon’s US store in 2024.
With less than four months left in the year, dealerships are frustrated as it seems the calendar will close without any movement in the pilot program, which was set to make Hyundai the first brand available to buy online.
Fines can be waived if a driver is able to produce a hands-free accessory[/caption]
Drivers will be let off if they’re using their phone in an emergency situation or to call first responders[/caption]
