Tougher laws on cell phone use in cars

Penalties for motorists caught using cell phones and other handheld electronic devices are now tougher in Connecticut. Fines were raised as of Oct. 1. Violators no longer get a reprieve on a first offense.

Up until last Friday, drivers caught talking or texting or using  handheld devices were fined $100 per offense. On the first offense, the fine would be waived if the violator showed a judge proof of having acquired a hands-free device since the arrest.

Senate Bill 427, approved in the last legislative session and signed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell in June, increases the fine on the second offense to $150 and to $200 on subsequent offenses.

Fine suspensions no longer apply, and a $500 fine is now added if the driver is involved in an accident while using a handheld device.

The revised law also makes it clear that texting is prohibited.

“The law is intended to save lives and make our roads safer,� Rell said in a press release. “There can be no more grace period for a motorist caught using a hand-held phone in their car and if you get caught texting, you pay. There is nothing so urgent that it is worth a life.�

The state law uses the term “mobile electronic devices� to refer to handheld or portable electronic equipment capable of providing two-way data communication. Included are pagers, PDAs, laptop computers, video game players and portable DVD players.

It remains illegal for a driver under the age of 18 to use even hands-free devices, per a law effective August 2008. A first offense is a 30-day license suspension. Subsequent offenses bring a six-month suspension. The fee for license restoration is $125, plus court fees.

Under the new statute, municipalities that issue a summons, which would include those with their own police forces, receive 25 percent of the collected fine.

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