Indiana Moves Closer to Hands-Free Law

The Indiana House of Representatives passed a distracted driving bill on Wednesday that would prohibit motorists from holding a cellphone or any electronic device while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, reports the Indianapolis Star.

Presently, texting while driving is banned in Indiana, but the state has yet to pass a “hands-free” law.

HB 1070 now moves to the Senate, and potentially to the governor’s desk, according to the report.

If the bill is ultimately signed into law, Indiana will join 21 other states and the District of Columbia in enacting a hands-free law.

Data from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute shows that each year since 2015, there were over 1,200 collisions on Indiana roads where a cellphone or other electronic device was a factor, resulting in 40 total fatalities, notes the Star.

Nationally, distracted driving kills approximately nine people every day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.