• 31
  • January
    2012

For three months, drivers around Nevada who were caught using their cell phones while driving were merely given a warning, but now that a new state law has officially taken effect, distracted drivers will face hefty fines for using their cell phones on the roads.

The law, which took effect on January 1, prohibits Nevada drivers from using handheld cell phones - and other devices - to talk, surf the Internet, or send or read text messages. Under this legislation, using a handheld device while on the road is a primary offense, which allows police personnel to stop drivers even if they are not committing other violations. The law applies whether a driver is in a moving vehicle, idling in traffic or sitting at a stoplight, and is aimed at reducing the number of serious accidents caused by distracted drivers.

Those who are caught violating this distracted driving law will face a fine of $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense, and $250 for any offense thereafter. If drivers cause an accident while using a handheld device, they could face fines ranging from $2,000 to $5,000, as well as up to six years in prison, if the crash causes fatalities or serious bodily injuries.

Nevada is the 10th state in the country to enact a ban on handheld devices while driving, and the 35th state to pass a ban on texting while driving, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Law Enforcement Leads by Example

In order to help promote the new law, some law enforcement agencies have decided to lead by example, although the distracted driving measure does not apply to police cars. For instance, in Churchill County, the Sheriff's Office, as well as the Fallon Police Department, has installed hands-free devices in all of their patrol cars. According to Sheriff Ben Trotter, they want to show the public how important it is to abide by the law, so they are following the law themselves.

"If you're going to be enforcing that, you shouldn't be in violation yourself," said Trotter in an interview with the Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard. "I'm definitely a lead by example-type."