Louisiana Lawmakers Move to Ban Handheld Cell Phones While Driving
Louisiana legislators are apparently pretty serious about "distracted driving" and the possibility of banning the hand-held use of cell phones while driving.
It's not the first time the Louisiana house has debated this hot topic, but the outcome of a recent vote to advance this bill was almost the exact opposite of a vote taken last year on the same issue.
In this week's vote to advance a bill that would ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving, the Louisiana House showed overwhelming support, passing it with a vote of 71-28.
Last year, in 2024, when lawmakers voted on the same issue, it failed by a vote of 71-22. The bill will now go to the Louisiana Senate for more discussion and vote.
In a story from the Louisiana Radio Network, we learn that Slidell Republican Brian Glorioso wrote the bill that would place this ban on handheld cell usage while driving, except in emergencies. Of the bill, Glorioso says Louisiana's distracted driving problem is a major contributor to our high auto insurance rates.
"Between 2020 and 2024, 871 people died in Louisiana because of the distracted driving. 24% of all failed crashes. 37% of all serious injuries, distracted driving,” Glorioso said.
Not everyone is convinced this is the best route for Louisiana to take as Republican Mike Bayham of Chalmette explains that the hand-held cell phone ban would disproportionately affect a certain group of people.
“This is, in essence, going to be something that disproportionately affects poor people. All new cars have Bluetooth in it. Older cars don’t have Bluetooth,” Bayham explained. He went on to point out that the proposed ban "would not instantly make bad drivers better."
As Bayham put it, “An unsafe driver’s an unsafe driver, whether they’re on the phone or not. Whether they’re fiddling around with something in their car or not.”