Hands-free driving law takes effect on June 1

PROVIDENCE — State Police Sgt. Greg Cunningham wants you to know that starting Friday, you’re going to get a ticket if a trooper spots you holding your phone while driving.

The state passed a handsfree-driving law last year that takes effect June 1, and state officials and law enforcement have been working to make sure Rhode Island drivers are aware of the new rules. Drivers will no longer be able to hold their cellphone to their ear, or in front of their face, or really at all.

“Leave the phone alone,” Cunningham said. “It’s that simple.”

Those behind the wheel can still talk on the phone with Bluetooth or other hands-free technology, but they’re allowed to use their hands only to activate or end a call. If caught, drivers will face a fine up to $100 for the first infraction. There will be a first-time-only waiver if those drivers show they have purchased hands-free equipment before the ticket payment is due. Cunningham said the fees increase from there, and drivers can have their licenses suspended after a third infraction.

Rhode Island law already prohibited texting while driving. It joins 15 other states, including nearby Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire and Vermont, in enforcing a hands-free law. Massachusetts notably doesn’t have a similar law, but its legislature is considering one.

Rhode Island officials said there will be signs at all major border crossings to warn drivers from adjacent states about the new rules.

Cunningham said there will be extra patrols, including by unmarked cruisers, to enforce the law.

“The point is very simple: It’s to make the roads safer,” he said.

That’s important, according to Kara Macek, spokeswoman for the Governors Highway Safety Association. She said the hands-free policy is only the first step, and it needs to be strongly enforced

if it’s going to change behav-

ior.

“What we’re trying to avoid is those ‘gotcha’ moments,” Macek said. “We want people to think, ‘Hey, I can get caught at any time. I shouldn’t do this.’”

Macek said research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed the laws could help limit distracted driving, but she cautioned the data are inconclusive.

Deaths in crashes resulting from distracted driving actually declined in 2016, the last year for which data are avail-

able, though many believe the problem is worse than the data shows, Macek said.

Some argue it’s the activity of using, not holding a phone, that is the true source of distraction.

“The data and science does show that there are degrees of distractions and that any conversation can be distracting,” Macek said. No state currently bans all cellphone use.

“The best advice to any driver,” she said, “is to avoid engaging with your phone while driving, period, regardless of the law.”