MOTORISTS will face new penalties for a common driving infraction beginning next month.
A new hands-free driving law will come into effect from Monday, September 1.
Scrolling and driving will be soon be illegal in certain parts of the country.
Drivers will see a grace period with warnings issued before a fee penalty is brought in early next year.
Motorists in South Carolina will be at risk of fines if they are caught holding a cellphone while driving.
This can include talking, texting, and watching videos while operating the vehicle.
For the first six months, anyone stopped for this infraction will receive an official warning.
However, starting from Saturday, February 28, violators will be handed a costly ticket.
Robert Woods, director of the Department of Public Safety (DPS), signed the bill on Thursday, July 31.
“We recognize that this law will cause a very significant change in driving habits for many drivers. So, we will educate first,” the state official said.
State representatives gathered at the Statehouse to celebrate South Carolina becoming the 33rd state to enact such a law, which Governor Henry McMaster signed in mid-May.
According to the DPS, distracted driving is a contributing factor in more than 20,000 traffic collisions in the South Carolina each year.
“We are confident this law will prevent collisions and save lives,” Woods said.
“It is important to know that our troopers and officers of the Department of Public Safety, working in cooperation with our local law enforcement partners, will strictly enforce this law.”
Meanwhile, hands-free phone calls and voice-to-text messaging remain legal.
And motorists can still have their phones in hand when parked, reporting traffic accidents or during a medical emergency.
“It’s just common sense, but sometimes it takes a law to remind everybody of that common sense,” the governor said.
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
“To see some of our people unnecessarily hurt, damaged, to see families suffer from acts of inattention, it’s something that’s just a crying shame.
Under the new law, driver’s can also handle their phones when legally stopped, such as when at a red light.
However, the DPS “encourages drivers to always avoid using a mobile device when behind the wheel, even at a red light, as driving a vehicle requires careful attention.”
The state’s Department of Transportation will install signs along state roads and display messages on the agency’s digital displays along interstates to promote the new law.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism will also alert visitors of the law with signs at its interstate welcome centers.
Fines start at $100 for a first offense while second or subsequent offenses will see the fine raised to $200.
This repeated infraction will also see a two-point assessment against your driver’s license, a penalty Woods said is likely to get people’s attention and act as a deterrent.
A new “restrictor” law forces certain drivers to install extra devices to cars.
And a new license plate law will affect drivers in another state, from the same date.
Plus, a new “50mph rule” was recently introduced, with drivers facing more than just $500 fines.
Motorists could also see $100 fines under a new 15mph rule but it won’t be cops handing out penalties.
And a recent “window” driving law has eased a strict rule for first time in 30 years.
