Colorado is sending a message to drivers: Put down your phone and pay attention to the road.
Starting Jan. 1, Colorado joins 29 other states with a ban on using handheld mobile devices while driving. You can get a $75 ticket for talking, texting or browsing behind the wheel.
Hands-free devices are allowed under the new law.
Cops and other emergency personnel are exempt.
“By encouraging drivers to focus solely on the task of driving, we can reduce the number of distracted driving incidents and prevent crashes that often come with such behavior,” CDOT executive Shoshana Lew says. “This law aligns with best practices from across the nation and reflects our commitment to protecting all road users, whether in a vehicle, on a bike or walking.”
Safety advocates applaud the new law. From 2015 to 2023, state data shows deaths among pedestrians and bicyclists increased by 50% and 112.5%, respectively, while Colorado’s population grew by less than 8% in that time.
In one year, a similar cellphone driving ban in Michigan slashed distracted driving fatalities by nearly 13%.