House Bill 874, A Virginia Law Banning Personal Communication Devices While Driving

Breaking news for Virginia drivers!

A new law is getting ready to hit the roads in 2021 and until then, drivers have enough time to change their bad driving habits. Until now, Virginia driving laws prohibited the use of cellphones to call or message while driving in any work zone. However, this new law, commonly known as House Bill 874, bans the use of any handheld personal communication device while driving. And by use, it states that you are not even allowed to hold any device, let alone answer a call or reply to a text.

The law has already been passed by Virginia''s Senate and House of Representatives. Now, it is under process to be signed by Governor Ralph Northam. It is expected that the law goes into effect on January 1, 2021. There are several other new restrictions and exceptions incorporated into Virginia driving laws.

Increasing Toll of Distracted Driving Accidents

Like all the other states, the toll of distracted driving accidents in Virginia is increasing. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the percentage of deaths related to distracted driving accidents has increased by 18.2%.

While cellphones are not the sole cause of distraction, they are definitely the major one. The ban on outright use of cellphones during driving can play an effective role in decreasing the number of accidents and deaths, by large.

Penalties under House Bill 874

House Bill 874 does not introduce any new penalties and so, drivers will be charged the same penalties as they have been under previous legislation. The penalties include:

â—? First offense: $125

â—? Second offense: $250

â—? Violations in work zone, first or second offense: $250

Under previous law, Virginia driving penalties are following a 3-point rule. If it changes in the new rule still needs to be decided.

What are the New Exceptions?

While this new law has added some new restrictions, it has also provided a few exceptions. Some of those proposed exceptions include:

â—? Operators of emergency vehicles such as ambulances, firefighters, forest wardens, law enforcement, but only if they are in an emergency situation

â—? Any driver lawfully parked or stopped

â—? Drivers in need of emergency service and in middle of contact

â—? CB radios and Ham might be excluded from the list of handheld personal devices

â—? Vehicles signaling red or red and white flashing lights as per the rule 46.2-109.2

Can the New Law Keep Us Safe?

Looking into accident reports of recent years presents distracted driving as the major reason behind the increasing number of accidents every day. Distracted driving does not only pose risk to the driver himself but others on the road as well, be it pedestrians or vehicles.

This new bill ensures ban on the use of any kind of handheld device for communication. Also, it requires the addition of questions related to distracted driving in Virginia''s driving exam. The law will educate drivers about the risk and avert such risks as much as possible.

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