Walk It Through: The Phone on Route 1
A call coming in, a text at a red light, a cyclist ahead, and the speed through a village.
A call comes in while driving. The phone is in the cupholder.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
An adult driver with a full license on a state road. The rules for permit holders and new drivers under 18 are on the permit page, and commercial drivers are left out.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Hands free modeUsing a phone or handheld device without either hand, through an internal feature or an attachment, allowed for drivers 18 or older who are not on a permit or intermediate license.
- Intermediate licenseThe first 270 days of a license held by a driver under 18, with no passengers outside the immediate family unless a qualifying adult is along, no driving between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m., and no handheld device.
- Traffic infractionA traffic violation that is not a crime. The penalty is a fine of $25 to $500 unless another section says otherwise, a license suspension, or both.