PHOENIX — One of the last places in the United States where drivers are free to do what they want with their cellphones is going hands-free.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday signed legislation that makes it illegal to hold a phone while driving. The move ends a decade of Arizona resisting as nearly all other states took steps to outlaw driving distractions caused by cellphones.
The death of a police officer hit by a distracted driver, heartbreaking stories from others who lost their loved ones and a wave of phone restrictions by local governments convinced lawmakers to change course.
Arizona becomes the 48th state to ban texting and the 18th to ban any hand-held phone use while driving. Officers can begin issuing warnings immediately and can write tickets in 2021.
