Drivers fume over ‘touch’ law ‘hypocrisy’ as change this month spells fine in 31 states for having hands in wrong place ...Middle East

DRIVERS are calling out the double standard of a road law that is in effect in 31 states.

If caught violating the law, Americans could face a $450 fine; however, some argue that not all drivers are subjected to the same restrictions.

The new law, dubbed the “touch law,” penalizes drivers who use or even look at their phones while driving.

Even drivers stopped at a red light could face a $51 fine for using their phones.

Pennsylvania is the latest state to enforce the Paul Miller Law, joining 30 other states in the fight against texting while driving.

The law even applies to those who use GPS navigation on their phones while driving.

Across the states with a no-touch law, police officers can typically ticket a driver for using a hand-held cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place.

Some states don’t have a complete ban on hand-held devices, but may instead have restrictions for specific groups, like novice drivers or school bus drivers.

The new law, which took effect in Pennsylvania on June 5, prompted TikToker JoJo on the Go Go to warn other drivers about it.

“If you’re driving and an officer sees you touching your phone, they can pull you over and give you a $50 ticket, however the fines can go up to $450,” JoJo warned in a video that’s garnered over 485,000 likes.

She added, “You can still get a ticket if you are just touching your phone to pick it up and look at it momentarily while at a light.”

“My advice is let’s spread the word to everybody so we’re not getting tickets and having to deal with all of this now,” she said.

In the comments, however, people are calling out a specific group of individuals who seemingly get away with using their phones while driving. 

“All the cops that pass me are texting on their phones,” one user commented. 

The comment received over 700 replies, with others chiming in and debating the extent to which cops get around the law.

“It’s not about what you’re doing on the phones, distracted driving is still distracted driving, regardless,” one person replied.

“Pull over or use hands free like you’re mandating others to do.

“Safety/law enforcement should not be exempt from a safety law.”

HANDS OFF

Currently, there are 31 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands, where drivers are prohibited from using hand-held cell phones while driving.

Across these states, law enforcement officers can generally ticket a driver for using a hand-held cell phone without any other traffic offense taking place.

Some states, however, don’t have a complete ban on hand-held devices, but may instead have restrictions for specific groups – like novice drivers or school bus drivers.

What’s more, most states ban texting while driving.

The aforementioned 31 states are:

One commenter who said she works in law enforcement argued that the phone use is necessary.

“Not all cops, and we are excluded. Many times we are communicating with dispatch or calling the reporting party for an update or better directions,” she wrote.

“It’s not all fun and games…trust me.”

The creator of the video, JoJo, even responded to the uproar of commenters debating when law enforcement should follow the law.

“From what I understand, and it varies by state, there are exceptions for emergencies,” she wrote.

“Be sure to check your state laws for the specifics.”

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