Indiana House Panel Advances Ban on Drivers’ Cell Phone Use

Drivers in Indiana could not use handheld cell phones or texting devices under legislation endorsed by a state House committee.

The House Public Policy Committee approved the bill by Democratic Rep. Vanessa Summers of Indianapolis on an 8-3 vote this week and sent it to the full House for consideration.

Summers has introduced similar bills for several years, but none of them has passed the General Assembly.

The bill would prohibit people from talking on handheld cell phones or using texting devices while driving, unless it was an emergency. Drivers could still use voice-activated systems or devices to talk, and the bill’s restrictions would not apply to emergency workers such as police or firefighters.