You know that it’s illegal to drink and drive or to get behind the wheel after you’ve done drugs. However, there’s a lot more confusion about texting at the wheel.
The average driver recognizes that distraction while driving is very dangerous. However, there is still plenty of misinformation about what the law says regarding distracted driving. There is no federal statute prohibiting texting while driving unless someone is in a commercial vehicle.
Laws about passenger vehicles and technology use while operating them occur are made at the state level only. Does North Carolina have a law against texting while driving?
The state bans manual data entry for everyone
North Carolina is among the states that have instituted a blanket ban on texting while driving. Inputting multiple characters manually into a phone is illegal for anyone. Inputting a phone number, typing out a text message or navigating to a website are all illegal while driving. It is only legal to do these things while stopped in your vehicle. The state also bans any phone use by underage drivers.
Unfortunately, just as with laws about seatbelts and speed limits, plenty of people think that they can break the texting laws without consequence. Texting is a primary offense, meaning it can be the reason for police to conduct a traffic stop, but they have to spot the driver first.
If you suspect that a driver who struck you was texting prior to a crash, alerting police to your suspicions can help ensure that the right person is held accountable for causing the wreck. When you know the law, it becomes easier to advocate for yourself when another driver causes a collision through negligence or illegal driving habits.
