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Colorado recently passed a law in which they will be more heavily enforcing hands-free driving. Specifically, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced that they will be focusing on driving involving cellphones. In a press release from earlier this week, they department stated the hands-free cellphone driving law is meant to reduce distracted driving, something that has been on the rise in the state. With this law, Colorado cracks down on mobile device usage while driving. It lays out the requirement of use, stating mobile device use is prohibited and illegal no matter what, unless a hands-free device is used. The only exemption to this law is in case of emergencies.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are two accepted hands-free options.
With Colorado passing this law, they are the 30th state to implement such a law. The other 29 states all enforced the law by the fall of 2023. This means Colorado is the first to enact a hands-free driving law in almost two years. Other states with such a law are Alabama, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, Washington, and many more.
The law officially went into effect in the state on January 1.
In their release this week, the State Patrol reported that they have issued just under 100 citations for cellphone use since the year began. However, they plan to more strongly enforce this law starting in April. They plan to enforce the law harsher this month due to the fact that April is distracted driving awareness month.
With the law in place, experts have stated a 3.3% decrease in screen distraction.
The Cambridge Mobile Telematics conducted the study that reported these findings. With their research, they ran estimate numbers and found a rough number of accidents that were prevented in the state because of the decrease. They found that roughly 88 crashes, 49 injuries, and $3.5 million in economic damages were prevented because of the mere 3.3% decrease in screen distraction. Even though the number sounds small, the effects are huge.
In order to conduct their research, Cambridge Mobile Telematics analyzed almost 4 million different trips around Colorado. The trips took place between December 2024, before the law took effect, and February 2025, two months after the law took effect. In their analysis, they measured a driver’s phone motion distraction. This action was defined by the analytical team as “when a phone moves with its screen on while a vehicle is in motion.”
The Colorado Department of Transportation hopes this trend continues.
The state department reported that distracted driving is the third leading cause of traffic accidents in the state. Over the last few years, leading up to the law, distracted driving became an increasingly more common issue. From 2022 to 2024, there was a 9% increase in cellphone related driving distractions.
Currently, those caught breaking the law are subject to fines.
For first time offences, drivers are hit with a $75 fine and two marks on their driving record. If they provide proof of purchasing a hands-free device, they can possibly if the charges dropped. If a driver is a repeat offender, they will face a higher fine and risk having their license suspended.
