MA Hands-Free Law One Year Later: Foxborough Statistics

FOXBOROUGH, MA — After nearly one year, police across Massachusetts have handed out over 30,000 tickets or warnings under the state's new distracted driving law, which went into effect on Feb. 23 last year.

The law largely bans drivers from using cell phones, including holding a phone to talk. The penalty for the first offense is $100, with increases for subsequent offenses — including an insurance surcharge and mandatory driver's education class on the third offense.

This week, MassDOT provided Patch with data on traffic stops under the law between Feb. 23 and Dec. 31 showing how many people state and local police are pulling over. The law requires the state to capture data on the race and sex of each person police stop under the law as a way to ensure police are not using the law to target groups.

A total of 124 Foxborough drivers were pulled over under the law, and a majority of them — 113 — received warnings, according to the data. Of those drivers 95 were white, and about 71 percent were men.

Foxborough officers made 98 of the stops, while Massachusetts State Police made 26.

If you need a refresher on the law, here are key things to know to avoid getting a ticket, according to state police:

• Drivers can only use electronic devices and mobile phones in hands-free mode and are only permitted to touch devices to activate hands-free mode
• Drivers can't hold or support any electronic device/phone while driving
• You can touch a phone to activate the hands-free mode, but only when the device is installed or properly mounted to the windshield, dashboard, or center console
• You can't touch a phone to text, email, use apps, take video, or use the internet
• Drivers can use GPS navigation when a device is installed or properly mounted
• Handheld use is allowed only if the vehicle is both stationary and not located in a public travel lane or a bicycle lane, but is not allowed at red lights or stop signs
• Voice to text and communication to electronic devices is legal only when a device is properly mounted; using headphones is allowed