Is it legal to use a handheld phone while driving?

Explanation

In many states, no – it is not legal to use a handheld mobile phone while driving. A majority of states (and many cities) have laws banning the use of hand-held cell phones for talking or dialing while driving. For example, California, New York, Illinois, and dozens of other states prohibit holding a phone to your ear or in your hand; you must use a hands-free option (like speakerphone or Bluetooth) if you need to talk. Some states without an overall hand-held ban still ban it for certain drivers (like bus drivers or young drivers) or in certain areas. Even where talking on a hand-held phone is allowed, texting or emailing while driving is illegal in all states except one (every state except Montana has a texting-while-driving ban as of now). The trend is that more and more places are moving toward full bans on hand-held device use because of distracted driving concerns. If you are caught holding your phone (to your ear or in front of you) while driving in a state or city that bans it, you can be pulled over and ticketed. Fines vary, but might be around $50-$150 for a first offense (often higher for subsequent offenses). In summary: Using a handheld phone for calls is illegal in many states (check your local law), and texting while driving is illegal everywhere in the U.S.. It’s safest (and in many cases required) to only use your phone in hands-free mode, or better yet, not at all while driving.