Hands-free law takes effect on Monday

A hands-free law takes effect on Monday, Aug. 28. 

The bill would ban texting while behind the wheel for drivers. 

When the law takes effect, drivers will be prevented from physically holding or supporting their cell phone with any part of their body, manually typing, writing, sending, or reading text-based messages, recording, posting, broadcasting video, including video calls and social media posts, and watching a video or movie. 

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says passage of the law provides law enforcement personnel with an additional tool to stop drivers from being distracted by their cell phone. 

Between 2012 and 2021, there were nearly 200-thousand driving-related crashes in Missouri, resulting in over 800 fatalities.