photo: Alexandre Boucher/Unsplash
The House has advanced a bill that would ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving, except in emergencies. Slidell Republican Brian Glorioso wrote the bill; he says distracted driving is a huge problem in the state, and it’s one of the reasons that auto insurance rates in Louisiana are so high.
“Between 2020 and 2024, 871 people died in Louisiana because of the distracted driving. 24% of all failed crashes. 37% of all serious injuries, distracted driving,” Glorioso said.
Glorioso’s bill also has the support of several Democrats, including Jason Hughes of New Orleans.
“I support this bill in the name of safety, because no one should get a call saying that someone has been harmed or hurt because they were distracted,” Hughes said.
Not all of Glorioso’s fellow Republicans are on board with his bill. Mike Bayham of Chalmette says a hand-held cell phone ban will disproportionately affect a certain group of people.
“This is, in essence, going to be something that disproportionately affects poor people. All new cars have Bluetooth in it. Older cars don’t have Bluetooth,” Bayham explained.
Bayham says a handheld cell phone ban would not instantly make bad drivers better.
“An unsafe driver’s an unsafe driver, whether they’re on the phone or not. Whether they’re fiddling around with something in their car or not,” Bayham said.
A similar bill last year failed in the House, 71-22. It was almost the complete opposite this year, with the House passing it by a vote of 71-28. It now moves to the Senate.
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