DENVER — Starting Jan. 1, driving while holding the phone will not only be distracting, dangerous and potentially deadly, it will also be illegal.
A new law goes into effect on Wednesday banning all handheld phone use while driving. While texting and driving is already illegal in Colorado, this law also makes phone calls and using GPS illegal if you are holding the phone. This does not apply to drivers who use Bluetooth or control their phone in other hands-free ways.
And yes, the law counts even if a driver is at a red light or stuck in standstill traffic. It also does not apply to anyone in a parked vehicle.
First time offenders will get a $75 fine and two points off their license. The consequences increase with repeat offenses.
There is no warning period, however first-time offenders can get their fines waived if they show proof of purchase of a hands-free device, like a mounted phone stand.
An officer can pull over a driver if the officer believes the person was holding a phone and driving carelessly.
There are exceptions for groups of people who may need their phones to quickly respond in an emergency situation. That includes law enforcement officers, first responders, commercial vehicle drivers and utility workers.
According to a Colorado Department of Transportation study, distracted driving accounts for a third of all traffic crashes in Colorado. Between 2012 and 2022, 718 people in Colorado were killed in those types of crashes.
Hollie Perry, a driving instructor with DriveSafe Driving Schools, said it can be a challenge to convince teen and adult drivers to keep the phone away while driving.
"Once you gain more confidence [driving], you're like, 'I got this,' and that's not necessarily the case," Perry said of driving while using a phone. "We recommend you put it away. You know, we got your dashboard here, you can put it in a bag."
She said if a driver truly needs to use their phone while driving, and hands-free is not an option, they can always pull over somewhere safe.
As Denver7 previously reported, Colorado will join other 27 other states that have similar laws already in the books, including California, which saw a 31% reduction in traffic-related deaths two years after a ban on cellphone use while driving was implemented; and Washington, D.C., which nearly reduced traffic deaths by half two years after passing a law banning cellphone use behind the wheel 20 years ago.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
