I sometimes occupy my mind while walking Wellesley’s streets by tracking the % of drivers I see looking at their cellphones. It’s often disturbingly high, like 75% or more some mornings on Linden Street near the train station. Though I only noticed about 1 out of 15 during my latest count on that strip, and he was using the down-low method where I couldn’t be absolutely sure it was a phone he was viewing.The Wellesley Police Department, professionally trained in such observations, will soon be taking a sharper look at such driver behavior in light of the new Hands-Free free going into effect in Massachusetts on Feb. 23.
The law essentially prohibits you from holding a mobile/electronic device while driving. All operation of the mobile device has to be in a hands-free manner with very exceptions, such as making a 911-call. No, you can’t check your texts while stopped at a red light. Drivers under the age of 18 are already restricted from any mobile device use, including in hands-free mode, while driving.
Until March 31, 2020, drivers who violate this law will be issued a warning. After that, drivers could receive a $100 fine the first time, then $250 plus a distracted driving program on second offense, and $500 and a whole ugly prize package for three or more offenses
This will replace the previous law MGL Chapter 90 section 13 which allowed the use of a mobile phone as long as one hand remained on the steering wheel
I asked Wellesley Police Lt. Marie Cleary how the local force would be enforcing the new law. She says, “This is a law that will be enforced as violations are observed. It would likely be pretty apparent to an officer if a motorist is talking on their cell phone when it is not in ‘hands free mode.’ If a motorist is holding the cell phone in their hand, holding it to their ear, etc.”
I also asked whether Wellesley tracks crashes tied to phone use.
“Currently the information that is tracked for driver contributions to crashes does not specify phone use,” Cleary says. “There is a code that tracks if a driver was distracted, but that could be for many reasons.”
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This law is s overdue! We need to get back to using cars for how they were meant to used. Distractions are distractions and there are plenty happening outside of the car. Now if we could prohibit other things, such as the eating of three-course meals….Love the breakfast sandwich, bagel or burger in one hand, and the french fry or coffee in the other….(No joke-we once saw somebody eating a sweet green salad on their lap while driving on Linden).
In the words of my young boys, “It can wait”.
Thank you bob. I witnessed many crashes outside Schofield, one car hit two kids, the other driven by an angry area man on his way to work on his cell phone…..at a kids crosswalk….why don’t these incidents show up in the police reports? I followed up with the Wellesley pd and it seems the incident was wiped clean….