Distracted Driving is dangerous. This driving behavior causes death and injury to others on the road. It’s estimated that in 2018 distracted driving caused 2,841 deaths nationwide and injured 400,000. Distracted Driving is second only to DUI’s as a cause of deaths and injuries.
The State of Nevada has passed strict distracted driving laws and you will be ticketed if found physically handling cell phone while driving. If you are seen by law enforcement holding a cell phone to your ear, or texting while driving, you will receive a ticket.
Cell phone use while driving is an area of primary enforcement, meaning you will be pulled over and ticketed for that alone.
We all know the dangers of driving while distracted, but sometimes people forget that even the smallest things can be distracting.
- Turning around to look at your kids
- Staring at billboards and ads on the side of the road
- Watching a nice sports car drive by
Distractions While Driving Cause Accidents
In Nevada between 2013 and 2017, over five hundred deaths were caused by lane departures and over 1,600 injuries. Lane departures include distracted driving, drowsy driving, and impaired driving. About 2/3’s of the state totals occurred in Clark County, and a little less than half occurred on rural roads. Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has found that several behaviors besides cell phone use can distract drivers:
- Using a Cell Phone or Texting
- Watching a Video
- Reading
- Talking to Passengers
- Eating or Drinking
- Grooming
- Using a vehicle Navigation System
- Adjusting Music Players and Radios
Driving experts from around the country, however, find that the most dangerous and distracting behavior while driving is texting. Its estimated that drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to get into a crash than non-texting drivers.
Handheld cell phone usage illegal in Nevada
Nevada’s cell phone law has been on the books for almost 10 years. This law makes it illegal to engage in texting, emailing, or searching the internet while driving, and to manually use a cell phone, meaning having it in your hand. It is legal to engage in telephone conversations hands-free by using a Blue Tooth device with voice control.
Your first ticket received for distracted driving will result in a $50 fine, is not considered a moving violation, and will result in no points on your driving record. Subsequent distracted driving ticket within 7 years of the first have increasingly punitive penalties attached. A summary of the penalties follows:
Ticket Busters assists with distracted driving tickets
It is safer to not use your phone while driving and avoid the violation altogether, however, Ticket Busters has assisted many clients who received distracted driving tickets, whether received as a single violation, or with other violations. We can provide assistance to you if you are ticketed for texting or using a phone while driving. Call our office today at (702) 666-6666 or click the green button at the bottom of the page to text us your information.
Learn More:
https://dmvnv.com/pdfforms/qtdistracted.pdf
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-484B.html#NRS484BSec165
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
https://zerofatalitiesnv.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Lane-Departure-2019-August-factsheet_NEW.pdf
