Drivers across US brace for new crackdowns with fines up to $150 and some in danger of being banned from road
Motorists across the US are bracing for new road raids with fines of up to $150 – and some even facing street bans.
Many of these new laws were introduced to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.
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Motorists who ignore these new changes will be in big trouble when they come into effect.
While some are outraged by the laws, others embrace them with open arms.
FLORIDA
A new law in the Sunshine State will dictate which vehicles teens can drive.
Currently, youth as young as 14 are allowed to drive a golf cart, but a new law that comes into effect on October 1 will change things.
Under the new legislation, Americans under the age of 18 are banned from driving golf carts on the road unless they have a learner or full driver’s license, according to the state House of Representatives.
Golf cart drivers who are at least 18 years old must have a government issued ID to drive on the road.
Golf carts are an extremely popular form of transportation in Florida due to the year-round mild climate.
However, officials are concerned about the number of golf cart-related accidents.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 6,500 children are injured in golf buggy-related accidents each year.
According to the results, eight percent of injuries occurred in children ages 12 and under, and most of them involved the head and neck.
The state law comes after Martin County officials tightened local legislation.
Officials said the golf carts would need to have features similar to cars, such as headlights, license plates, mirrors and windshield wipers.
Scott Beaver, patrol chief for the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office, told the Tallahassee Democrat, “We don’t need 14-year-olds operating a golf cart on the freeway.”
Police officers have said youngsters need experience or knowledge of the law before taking to the streets.
Daniel Bonilla, father of four children, also welcomed the new regulation.
He told CBS affiliate WPEC, “If you can’t drive a personal vehicle, you probably shouldn’t be able to drive a golf cart.”
MICHIGAN
Michigan drivers can face hefty fines for violating this new law.
The state has enacted a Distracted Driving Act to reduce accidents and injuries.
The bills were signed into law on June 30, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office released statistics showing cellphone-related car accidents increased by 88 percent from 2016 to 2020.
It is now illegal in Michigan to perform multiple manual actions.
The list includes making or answering a phone or video call; Send or read a text or email message; viewing, recording or broadcasting a video; Access, readingor posting on social media; surfing or using the internet; and entering information into GPS or a navigation system.
Because the statement lists these activities as major offenses: Anyone on the street can be stopped and fined if caught.
For the first violation, the driver will be fined $100 and/or 16 hours of community service, The Alpena News reported.
The second violation is subject to a $250 fine and/or 24 hours of community service.
These fines are doubled if the person has caused a traffic accident and is found to be holding a phone.
If the driver has committed an offense for the third time within three years, he must complete a driving improvement course.
MISSOURI
Missouri drivers are required by law not to use their phones or devices while behind the wheel of their vehicle.
Gov. Mike Parson signed the state law into law earlier this month, and it will go into effect Aug. 28, Springfield reports News Socket KYTV.
Drivers of any legal age are prohibited from holding their phone while operating their vehicle.
They are said to be allowed to briefly touch the device if necessary, but holding the phone to text, change music, match a GPS address or make calls is forbidden.
However, Bluetooth, CarPlay and other vehicle-provided talk-to-text capabilities are reportedly allowed under the new law.
In Illinois, holding a phone while driving is a major offense, meaning police could stop drivers for that reason alone.
According to KYTV, Missouri is the 49th state to pass legislation banning the use of phones in motor vehicles.
A similar law has applied to Missouri residents for some time, but only for drivers under the age of 21.
People over the age of 21 on the road could hold their phone without being stopped or fined unless their driving behavior was determined to be reckless.
AAA spokesman Nick Chbarria told the news agency that the law is a positive step forward in preventing accidents, particularly based on Missouri’s distracted driving statistics.
“It only takes a few seconds for something to go wrong and it crashes,” Chbarria explained.
He went on to say that data from the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety showed there had been a staggering 197,000 distracted-driving accidents and 800 fatalities over the past decade.
Any accident, Chbarria claimed, was preventable.
“These are avoidable accidents. “It’s someone who would rather focus on their phone than the path ahead,” he noted.
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