Do you have plans to drive in Oregon after October 1st? Don't get caught doing this or it could cost you a $2,000 hit to your bank account.

If you drive in Oregon, you may need to invest in a new hands-free set-up or a larger bank account. Oregon’s new super strict hands-free law takes effect October 1st and won't allow drivers to even touch their phones or other electronic devices while driving.

In an attempt to curb accidents caused by distracted drivers, the Oregon Senate approved a no cellphone, no navigation, no social media while driving bill, that's due to take effect on October first.

House Bill 2597 says basically that anything a driver could think of doing with a cell phone while driving is now illegal in the state of Oregon.

According to a story in the Statesman Journal, All a police officer has to do is see the soft romantic glow of a phone screen lighting up your face, even if officer didn’t observe you actually using or dialing the phone, you will still be pulled over for a violation of the new law.

Hands-free will be the only legal use of a cell phone in a motor vehicle as of the bill’s Oct. 1 effective date.  If the communications equipment is mounted or bolted into place it’s exempt from the law. But no longer can you talk hands free and hold the phone in your hand or use your phone for GPS unless your phone is mounted in your car. You can no longer hold your phone in your hand and use it in any way at all, while driving.

And as you would expect, in Oregon, the fine for an infraction is expensive. The bill sets the maximum fine for violation at $2,000, which is up from the previous distracted driving fine of $500.

 

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