Distracted Driving In Colorado: A Look Into Colorado Cell Phone Laws

We all know how much of an issue distracted driving has become. Because of that, we have seen 48 out of the 50 states in this country put a ban on text messaging for all drivers in place. Colorado has been one of those states cracking down on people texting while driving and using their cell phones while driving. Check out the Colorado distracted driving laws below!

Colorado Cell Phone Laws

Whether you are learning to drive in Colorado or a seasoned driver, it's always a good idea to have a refresher course on what the current laws are. When it comes to Colorado, the Colorado Department of Transportation seems to be in line with a lot of other states and how they regulate it.

For the Colorado distracted driving laws, all cell phone use is prohibited while driving for any driver under 18 years of age. This includes phone calls (hands-free also), text messaging or any similar forms of manual data entry and transmission.

For adult drivers, regular cell phone use for voice calls is allowed. Adult drivers may also wear headphones in one ear for this purpose. However, adult drivers are not allowed to use their cell phone while driving for manual data entry and transmission on a cell phone (i.e., texting or browsing the internet).

Exceptions To The Rules

Of course, the Colorado DOT understands special circumstances may happen, so there are exceptions to the rules above. Any driver may use a wireless device for phone calls during an emergency, which they define as:

• a person has reason to fear for his or her life or safety, or believes that a criminal act may be perpetrated against him or her or against another person;
• reporting of a fire, serious traffic accident, serious road hazard, or a medical or hazardous materials emergency; or
• reporting of a person who is driving in a reckless, careless, or unsafe manner.

Secondary Enforcement of Distracted Driving Laws

How police can enforce these distracted driving laws depends on your state laws. There are two ways these laws can be enforced:

1. Primary enforcement - This means the police can pull you over if they see you violating state distracted driving laws.
2. Secondary enforcement - This means the police can cite you for violating distracted driving laws only if you break another law while doing so.

In Colorado, they use secondary enforcement, which means if a police officer sees you texting while driving, as long as you are in total control of your vehicle at the time, you can't be pulled over for violation of the state’s distracted driving laws.

Distracted Driving Law Fines

If you violate the distracted driving law in Colorado, the fines for a distracted driving citation vary for teen drivers and adult drivers.

• For drivers under the age of 18, a violation is considered a Class A Traffic Infraction. The first offense is fined $50 plus 1 point is added against your driving record. Subsequent offenses are fined $100 and 1 point is added against your driving record.
• For drivers 18 and older, a violation is considered a Class 2 Misdemeanor Traffic Offense. A first offense is fined $300 and 4 points are issued against your driving record. Subsequent offenses are fined from $300 to $1000 and can include up to 1 year in prison. Additionally, 4 points are issued against your driving record.

The mission of Coastline Academy is to help put an end to car crashes. With more laws and emphasis put on distracted driving, we can all take steps to seeing that happen. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.