Oklahoma Gov. Signs Legislation on Distracted Driving

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry has signed into law a piece of legislation that will allow law enforcement to cite drivers who drive dangerously while using their cell phone, but prohibit them from initiating a traffic stop simply because a driver is operating a cell phone.

House Bill 2276, by State Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, amends the law to require law officers to observe driving that “poses an articulable danger to other drivers.”

“My legislation is a nice compromise between penalizing drivers who use cell phones and ignoring a growing public safety concern,” Duncan, said. “Operating a cell phone can distract the driver and cause an accident, but we shouldn’t penalize drivers who are otherwise driving safely.”

The new law will go into effect on November 1, 2010.

Source: Oklahoma Legislature