What happens if caught texting and driving

A law is only as strong as the penalty for breaking it. If you get caught texting and driving, the consequences vary dramatically depending on your state. In Alaska, however, texting and driving laws are very serious. Keep in mind that getting charged with texting and driving can also raise your car insurance rates if your state assigns points for a conviction. And if you cause an accident, expect your insurance to go way, way up. This data can be used to either increase your rates or reward you if you just put the phone down.

The answer is yes, a group of researchers found out: Having some kind of texting law was linked to a 2. Some cities and towns may also have local ordinances that touch on cell phone use while driving. While many times these laws and ordinances may work hand in hand, in other cases the local ordinances are the main rules regarding texting and driving. For example, Montana is one of the few states that does not have a statewide law regarding texting while driving—but many municipalities across the state have bans on hand-held cell phone use while driving.

The consequences for texting while driving vary from state to state, and may depend upon the severity of the offense or whether you have prior offenses. Generally, punishments for texting while driving can include the following:. Often the severity of the punishments increases if you have more than one offense on your record. You may be issued a higher fine, or a longer jail sentence for a second offense.

Penalties may also increase if another driver or passenger was seriously injured or if drunk driving was involved. Some of these penalties may include:. It should not be commonplace to hear that a pedestrian, like a child, or a bicyclist were hit and killed due to a person who was texting while driving. It may seem like it is possible to do both, but it is always best to be cautious when it comes to the safety of yourself and others.

Texting while driving may not feel like a big deal, but it is a small act that can result in some big consequences. An attorney can help you navigate the court system to get the best possible outcome in your case. Jose Rivera. Law Library Disclaimer. Can't find your category? The fines for texting and driving in New Jersey can be steep. In addition, this is a law that police have begun and will continue to aggressively enforce because of the amount of accidents and deaths that are attributed to texting and driving every year.

According to the New Jersey Statute For most families, these fines are rather prohibitive. In addition to a monetary fine, even a first offense for texting and driving can require that you make an appearance in your local municipal court.

While the courts are designed to be a place of fairness and justice, going to court is often a scary and nerve-wracking experience. Going to the local municipal court can be confusing, as there tend to be a lot of people there who all have matters before the judge.

Thanks to modern technology, our cell phones are no exception. For some mysterious reason, we feel if our cellys go off, we must immediately answer them. From answering a call to texting, we believe that communicating on the phone is imperative. They include:. If any of these are violated, it is considered a moving traffic violation. In certain jurisdictions, it is treated as a criminal misdemeanor.

In 41 different states, along with DC, there are bans on all forms of texting, for any type of driver. For instance, some states only considered it a legal matter when there are persons in the vehicle under Of the 50 states in America, only 33 consider this law a priority for enforcement. This means that police officers can stop anyone who is texting while operating a motor vehicle.

For 4 states, the enforcement of this law is secondary, meaning a cop could cite the offending driver for texting, but only if he or she is pulled over for a different violation.