© 2024 New England Public Media

FCC public inspection files:
WGBYWFCRWNNZWNNUWNNZ-FMWNNI

For assistance accessing our public files, please contact hello@nepm.org or call 413-781-2801.
PBS, NPR and local perspective for western Mass.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mass. Lawmakers Approve Ban On Drivers Using Hand-Held Cellphones

A cellphone in use while driving.
File photo
/
MassLive / masslive.com/photos

Massachusetts drivers would no longer be able to use hand-held cellphones behind the wheel under a bill approved by state lawmakers. 

The Senate voted 38-1 in favor of the bill Wednesday. The House approved it on a 153-1 vote Tuesday. 

The legislation now heads to Republican Governor Charlie Baker for his signature.

Baker had filed a separate but similar bill. Hands-free cellphones would still be allowed.

Massachusetts already bans texting while driving.

The bill would impose fines of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense and $500 for a subsequent offense.

The bill also requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to collect data from every traffic citation, including the driver's age, race and gender without identifying the driver.

The information would help identify police agencies that may be engaging in racial or gender profiling.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Related Content