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

Texting while driving is no joke, which is why 48 of the 50 states in this country currently ban text messaging for all drivers. Nevada is no exception to the rule, as they take their distracted driving laws very seriously. This includes banning the use of any handheld device for all drivers.

Nevada Cell Phone Laws

Whether you are learning to drive in Nevada 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 Nevada, the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety states it is illegal to use a cell phone to talk or text while driving. Nevada law prohibits using a handheld wireless communication device while driving.

The law specifically states a person shall not manually enter text into a cell phone, send data, search the internet, message or engage in non-voice communication of any kind while operating a motor vehicle. Nevada law also says it is illegal to use a cell phone to engage in communications with another person unless that communication is hands-free.

Exceptions to Distracted Driving Laws

With any situation, there are always exceptions to the rules and special circumstances that come up, which police will understand. For Nevada, exceptions to the distracted driving laws are allowed for drivers who are:

• Using their phones to report a medical emergency, a safety hazard or criminal activity
• Using a voice-operated GPS or other navigation system, as long as it's attached to the vehicle
• Using citizen band (CB) or other two-way radios that have a separate, hand-held microphone and require a license
• Active-duty law enforcement officers, firefighters, medical technicians, or other emergency personnel who are acting within the scope of their employment
• Riding in autonomous vehicles
• Utility workers responding to an outage or emergency who are using devices provided by their company
• Amateur radio operators who are providing communication services during an emergency or disaster

Primary 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 Nevada, they use primary enforcement, which means a police officer can pull you over if they see you texting or talking on a handheld device while driving. They do not need another reason to pull you over, as you were breaking the law by using the handheld device while behind the wheel.

Distracted Driving Law Fines

If you violate the distracted driving law in Nevada, it is considered a misdemeanor. The fines for a distracted driving citation are:

• First offense: $50
• Second offense: $100
• Third or subsequent offense: $250

If the offense takes place in an active school or work zone, then the fine is doubled. Also, Nevada allows you to start over with a clean slate after seven years. If you have had a previous offense eight years ago and get another violation, it would be considered a first offense. The first offense is not considered a moving violation, but subsequent offenses are.

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 that Coastline can help you with, please reach out to our friendly support staff.