Louisiana House Agrees to Ban Handheld Cellphone Use While Driving

You may soon have to use your cellphone on hands-free or speaker mode while driving in Louisiana.

The Louisiana House of Representatives agreed Wednesday (05/19/21) by a vote of 77 to 20 to ban the handheld use of cellphones while driving according to KATC.

Republican Rep. Mike Huval, of Breaux Bridge, has tried for years to get a ban on handheld cellphone use while driving pushed through the House, and his persistence has finally paid off.

The measure will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.

From KATC -

Opponents questioned whether the measure would improve safety, and they suggested the bill would put a burden on the poor by requiring them to buy new equipment.

It's currently illegal in Louisiana to text or post to social media while operating a vehicle. Rep. Huval wants to extend the current law to include manually using a cellphone in any way. This includes making and answering calls, web browsing, and more.

The penalties for violating the new ban, if it passes the Senate, would be a fine "of up to $100 on a first offense; up to $300 on a second offense; and up to $300 and a 30-day driver’s license suspension on third and subsequent offenses."

Read more at KATC.com.