HB 198 Summary

• Expands existing texting-while-driving law to prohibit all distracted driving while operating a motor vehicle on public roads, streets, or highways in Alabama.

• Defines distracted driving as inattentive driving caused by reading, writing, personal grooming, interacting with pets or unsecured cargo, using wireless devices, or any other activity preventing necessary attention to driving.

• Establishes fines of $25 for first violation, $50 for second violation, and $75 for third or subsequent violations.

• Adds two-point violations to the driving record of convicted individuals and allows law enforcement to cite distracted driving as the primary reason for stopping a driver.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.