Colorado drivers caught with phone in hand will be fined starting New Year's Day
Colorado has implemented a new law that will charge anyone who is caught with their phone in their hands while driving. The Hands Free Law went into effect at midnight Wednesday.
Colorado Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Manager Sam Cole tells CBS News Colorado First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter Brian Sherrod with this new law, they hope to see crashes go down in Colorado. According to CDOT, distracted driving accounts for 15,000 crashes in our state every year with an average of 60 deaths from these crashes.
Colorado is now the 30th state in the country to implement this law. This law prohibits anyone from using a mobile electronic device while driving unless they use a hands-free accessory, like Bluetooth or a mount.
According to CDOT's 2024 Driver Behavior Report, at least 80% of Colorado drivers have admitted to using their phones while driving. A total of 45% told CDOT they are using a hands-free feature so it prevents them from driving with their phones in their hands.
CDOT says if you look down at your phone for even a second, the worst can happen.
"A child can jump out in front of you," Cole said. "A dog could jump out in front of you. Anybody that has ever been in a crash knows that if they had a few more seconds of time, they could have avoided that crash and avoided a tragedy in many cases."
Anyone caught breaking this new law will get a $75 fine and two points added to their license. It only takes 12 points overall to get your license suspended in Colorado. Anyone who repeatedly breaks this law will be hit with high fines and more license suspension points.
