NEW TRAFFIC LAWS

346.89 (4m) No person may drive any motor vehicle while using a cellular or other wireless telephone, including using the telephone for a purpose other than communication, where persons engaged in work in a highway maintenance or construction area or in a utility work area, or emergency or roadside response area are at risk from traffic, except to report an emergency. This subsection does not apply to the use of a voice-operated or hands-free device if the driver of the motor vehicle does not use his or her hands to operate the device, except to activate or deactivate a feature or function of the device.

This law change makes it unlawful to be talking on a non-hands free cellphone  while driving thru work zones, areas where highway or utility workers are present and areas where emergency vehicles are present which includes law enforcement vehicles on traffic stops.

Conviction for this offense has a minimum forfeiture of $162.70 plus 4 points accessed against your driving record.

Speeding fines are doubled…

Fines are doubled for persons exceeding the speed limit where  persons engaged in work in a highway maintenance or construction area or in a utility work area, or emergency or roadside response area are at risk from traffic and also where sanitation workers are at risk from traffic and the operator knows or should know that sanitation workers are present.