New hands-free law passes in Missouri

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – “It only takes a few seconds for something to go wrong.” 

That is the nature of distracted driving, and AAA Missouri Public Affairs Specialist Nick Chabarria expects the Siddens Bening Hands Free Law, which prohibits manually typing, scrolling, or holding your cell phone while driving, to have life-saving effects. 

“We see it as a great step forward in traffic safety for all Missouri road users here moving forward, and we know that this law is going to save countless lives,” he said.

And while this law, which goes into effect on August 28, is meant to deter drivers from using their phone while driving, Chabarria shared an important reminder.

“It’s not meant to catch people in the act of doing something wrong, but it just sends the message to drivers about the inherent risks of being on your phone while behind the wheel and sends a clear message that it’s not okay to be distracted by your phone while you’re driving,” he said.

Cape Girardeau resident Payton Ayers said the law will take some getting used to. 

“It’s going to be very different and challenging for some people to get used to because it’s your phone, you’re always on it, it’s very useful, it’s very hard to put it down even when you think it’s important over driving,” he said.

Ayers said it will be a difficult adjustment for him and other drivers. 

“I think it’s going to be hard to adjust a little bit at first, maybe just for a while, but it is definitely a good thing to have in the long run,” he said.

The law allows drivers to use hands-free functions on their phones and vehicles such as speech-to-text and Bluetooth. The penalty provisions will not go into effect until January 1, 2025.