By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Starting in January, enforcement will begin on a hands-free law that was enacted in August 2023
Seargent Shane Hux with Troop H in St. Joseph says while the law isn’t primary and you can’t be pulled over just for violating it, if you are caught in violation, it’s a steep price to pay
“The first conviction $150 fine, second conviction up to $250 fine, and the third and subsequent up to $500 fine, so the law does come with a pretty stiff penalty,” Hux tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Hux says drivers could also face criminal charges if they get into an accident and it’s discovered you were using a cell phone when the accident occurred.
To this point, Missouri State Highway Patrol officials have used traffic stops to educate drivers on the new law.
Hux with Troop H in St. Joseph says the law does not only apply to texting and driving, but any act that requires the phone to be in your hand while driving.
“An exception to that is if someone is driving down the roadway and they witness a motor vehicle crash, at that time they can still call 911 or *55 to report that crash,” Hux explains.
Hux says the phone can also be used for GPS but needs to be either in the hands of a passenger or hooked into a holder on your dashboard, not in the driver’s hand.
Hux says over 100 people are killed each year due to distracted driving, and the hope is the new law decreases that number
“We just ask people to be vigilant and obey the law, put the phone down it’s just not worth it,” Hux says.
A report from Cambridge Mobile Telematics says the law has seemingly already reduced distracted driving by 5.1% in its first year without citations, preventing over 1,000 crashes, 600 injuries, and 5 fatalities,
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.
