New Cell, Smoking Traffic Laws in Virginia thanks efamily member Pat Evans for Sharing

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill Wednesday, July 8, 2020, for legislation aimed at combating distracted driving in Virginia that accounts for so many deaths. It will be illegal to hold a cell phone while driving in Virginia, effective January 1, 2021.
The law also includes - supposedly - several provisions to help ensure it is enforced fairly and does not result in disparate enforcement against people of color. Talk to your kids. I would just follow police officers' instructions and stay alive to follow up at a later time.


The Virginia legislation bans holding handheld personal communications devices while driving a motor vehicle. May need to purchase a car mobile phone holder/mount.
The current law "prohibits the reading of any email or text message and manually entering letters or text in such a device as a means of communicating" and "holding a personal communications device while driving in a work zone."

Penalties outlined in previous legislation, unless the driver is lawfully parked and stopped, include:
$125 for the first offense
$250 for the second offense

Other Virginia laws, including do NOT smoke in the car in the presence of children under the age of 15:

Traffic Infractions - https://lis.virginia.gov/lis.htm http://dls.virginia.gov/pubs/idc/idc20.pdf

HB 578. Smoking in motor vehicle with a minor present. Expands the group in the presence of whom it is illegal to smoke in a motor vehicle from minors under the age of eight to minors under the age of 15.

HB 874/SB 160. Holding handheld personal communications devices while driving a motor vehicle. Prohibits any person from holding a handheld personal communications device while driving a motor vehicle. Current law prohibits (i) the reading of any email or text message and manually entering letters or text in such a device as a means of communicating and (ii) holding a personal communications device while driving in a work zone. The bill expands the exemptions to include handheld personal communications devices that are being held and used (a) as an amateur radio or a citizens band radio or (b) for official Department of Transportation or traffic incident management services. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2021.


HB 1705. Cars must stop at crosswalks for pedestrians. Yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians; stopping. Clarifies the duties of vehicle drivers to stop when yielding to pedestrians at (i) clearly marked crosswalks, whether at midblock or at the end of any block; (ii) any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of a block; or (iii) any intersection when the driver is approaching on a highway where the maximum speed limit is not more than 35 miles per hour. The bill also prohibits the driver of another vehicle approaching such stopped vehicle from an adjacent lane or from behind from overtaking and passing the stopped vehicle. The bill contains technical amendments.