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

When thinking about the safety of other drivers, distracted driving plays a big part in that. States know the dangers of distracted driving, which is why 48 out of 50 states in the country have put a ban on text messaging for all drivers in place. Indiana is no different and they actually put even stricter cell phone laws in place back in 2020. Check out the Indiana distracted driving laws below!

Indiana Cell Phone Laws

Whether you are learning to drive in Indiana 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 Indiana, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles seems to be in line with a lot of other states and how they regulate it. The following are the Indiana distracted driving laws in place right now:

• Text messaging and emailing is illegal while driving for all drivers.
• Drivers under the age of 21 may not use cell phones, text messaging devices, or any other other wireless telecommunication devices, even if hands-free.
• In July 2020, a hands-free law went into effect for all drivers, which means a person may not hold or use a telecommunications device while operating a moving motor vehicle. If the driver is over 21, they may use a hands-free device.
• Commercial vehicle drivers may not use handheld mobile devices while the vehicle is in motion, and they may not begin or end a phone call unless they can do so by pressing a single button.

Exceptions To The Rules

Of course, the Indiana BMV understands special circumstances may happen, so there are exceptions to the rules above. If you have an emergency, you can use your phone to call 911. If you are over 21, you are permitted to do the following, as long as you aren’t physically holding your phone:

• Send texts with voice commands 
• Use turn-by-turn GPS navigation
• Stream music or other audio through your phone

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 Indiana, it is considered a primary enforcement, which means if a police officer sees you sending a text message or talking on a handheld device while you are driving, they can pull you over and give you a citation.

Distracted Driving Law Fines

Speaking of citations, if you violate the distracted driving law in Indiana, it is considered a Class C infraction. This type of infraction can give you a fine of up to $500 and also have four points added to your license. You may be able to take a driver safety program to have those points removed.

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.