Effective January 1st 2025, Colorado will implement a new hands-free driving law aimed at reducing distracted driving. Under this new legislation, drivers are prohibited from holding or handling mobile devices while operating a vehicle. However, the use of hands-free accessories remains permitted. Holding your phone to your ear or using it in speaker mode will be considered a violation of the law.

To comply with the letter and spirit of the law you may want to purchase a hands-free accessory for your mobile phone. Examples of hand-free accessories include, a dashboard phone mount, Bluetooth integration or Apple Car Play.

There will be no grace period for enforcement, and fines for violations began on January 1, 2025. The penalty for a first offense includes a $75 fine and two points.

Distracted driving is anything that takes your attention away from practicing safe driving. With the pace of mobile technological innovation distracted driving has become a serious challenge. The statistics highlighted here support the importance of this new legislation:

• Drivers talking on cell phones may miss seeing 50% of what’s around them (NSC)
• Car crashes are the #1 cause of workplace fatalities (NSC)
• Cell phone users are four times more likely to be involved in an accident (NSC)
• Distracted driving claimed 3,308 lives in 2022 (NHTSA)
• Every seven seconds someone is injured in a vehicle accident
• Every 15 minutes someone is killed in a vehicle accident (NSC)
• Sending or reading text messages takes your eyes off the road for at least 5 seconds. During those 5 seconds, if driving at 55 mph, it is equivalent to driving the length of a football field. (NHTSA)

Requiring and monitoring safe driving behaviors is essential for an effective fleet safety program. Therefore, a distracted driving policy prohibiting all employees from using mobile devices while they are driving is critical. It is equally important to educate your employees concerning the serious implications of distracted driving through training session engagement and ongoing communication. To ensure compliance, the use of vehicle telematic systems that monitor driving behaviors may be an effective approach.

For more information about the legislation, you can visit: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2024a_065_signed.pdf
 

References:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
https://www.codot.gov/safety/distracteddriving/colorado-hands-free-law
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb24-065
https://www.nsc.org/road/safety-topics/distracted-driving/distracted-driving-for-employers#:~:text=Employers%20are%20Being%20Held%20Liable,explains%20why%20employers%20should%20care.