Are there points for talking on cell phone

The fee is in addition to the court surcharges and fines otherwise associated with the ticket. They may increase their rates when new convictions occur.

One study in particular even showed that a single cell phone ticket could cost you a rate increase of 20 percent. Police are now paying close attention to drivers who are talking, texting, holding their phone in their hand, or even simply looking down and appearing distracted by something other than the road, while their vehicle is in motion.

For example, if an officer noticed you were on your phone while you were driving eleven miles per hour over the speed limit, the ticket you receive could cite you both for using a cell phone and speeding. Under that example, you could receive nine points on your license.

It is possible to fight a cell phone ticket with the help of an attorney. Doing so may result in the ticket being waived or at least reduced. That could make a major impact on how many points are added to your driving record. For example, if your cell phone ticket is changed to a simple speeding ticket, the points could drop from five to three. Drivers Younger Than 18 The law is more restrictive for drivers who are under the age of Fines The fines and assessments for a hands-free cellphone violation are the same as those for a handheld cellphone violation.

Enforcement The ban on hands-free devices for drivers under 18 is a secondary violation. Ban on Texting While Driving A separate law prohibits texting or any other use of a wireless device while driving. However, the law contains exceptions for: emergency services professionals while operating an authorized emergency vehicle turning on or off a mounted GPS, so long as only one tap or swipe is required to do so read more about the law as it applies to GPS , or using a manufacturer-installed system that's embedded in the vehicle.

Talk to a Lawyer Need a lawyer? Start here. Practice Area Please select Zip Code. How it Works Briefly tell us about your case Provide your contact information Choose attorneys to contact you. Driving Laws. Traffic Tickets. Dealing With a DUI. Hire a DUI Lawyer? See All Driving Laws Articles. Sec c deals with mobile telephones and voice communication in particular—classic talking on the telephone situations. Sec d deals with portable electronic devices which can mean a cell phone data and texting transmission as well as all other devices such as iPods, tablets, GPS, etc.

Anyone is free to read the law in its entirety but we can sum it up pretty quickly for you:. The basic elements of the charge are pretty simple.

In most cases, an attorney can fight. How this is done would vary depending on where the ticket was issued, the particular circumstances, etc. What we warn against is reading the law and then trying to shape your use of the phone while driving based on the specific legalese. Just read the news to see how serious the issue is from both political and enforcement ends. Officers are out there looking to cite people for phone and device violations.

Look at the history of these tickets and see how quickly the attitude towards them has changed:. A driver convicted of texting and driving will receive five points on their license. The consequences of texting and driving for probationary or junior drivers is even more dire. A first offense results in the suspension of a driving permit or license for days.

Other than the above emergency situations, try to avoid any use of any device whatsoever or you risk the increasingly severe consequences of driving while using a cell phone or other electronic device.

A cell phone violation is a 5 point violation.