Addison Thurston, senior, almost never looks at his phone when he’s behind the wheel, but Thurston can’t say the same for other drivers he’s encountered on the road.
“Some drivers will try to merge into my lane because they’re distracted by their phone,” Thurston said. “I’ll need to either swerve to get out of the way or honk to make them aware.”
In hopes of addressing this dangerous issue, a new Missouri Law bans all drivers from holding a cell phone while driving. Previously, this only applied to drivers under 21.
The “Siddens Bening Hands Free Law,” named in memory of two Missourians who lost their lives in traffic crashes, took effect Monday, Aug. 28.
Adrian Washington, public information officer, said the St. Louis County Police Department, like other Missouri police departments, will not heavily enforce this law yet.
“It doesn’t go into full effect until 2025,” Washington said.
Once the law is strictly enforced, it will be prohibited for drivers to hold/support a cell phone or other wireless device; manually type, write, send, or read any text-based communication; or watch, record, post, send, or broadcast a video. The law does not apply to Bluetooth or voice-activated features.
Officer Washington said this law will only create positive change for the “better percent” of drivers.
“When you’re driving, how well do you see people obeying traffic laws?” Washington said. “Do you see everyone obeying stop signs, or do you see some people obeying stop signs? It’s like any other law out there: the driver has to choose whether or not they will comply with it.”
Edward Ter-hovhannisyan, junior, said he sometimes needs to utilize his phone while driving.
“There are times when I have to get back home quickly, so I pull out my phone for Google Maps in case there’s an exit coming up that I need to take,” Ter-hovhannisyan said. “If I were to stop in the middle of the highway and pull onto the shoulder, that would be very dangerous and a real time-waster.”
Ter-hovhannisyan said he often listens to music while driving and uses his phone to change songs.
Outside of these situations, Ter-hovhannisyan doesn’t often use his phone while driving and recommends that drivers avoid texting and using social media.
In the MHS parking lot, Junior Principal Melissa Davis said it’s a priority to ensure everyone is following the rules and no one is distracted or on their phone.
“Our parking lot is very busy; all of our parking spots are filled,” Davis said. “We have juniors and seniors who are parking, we have parents who come to pick up and we have students walking across the crosswalks, so paying attention is very important.
Davis hopes people will abide by the Hands Free Law, as phone use is extremely distracting and dangerous when combined with driving.
“If it’s a law in Missouri, then you have to abide by it here,” Davis said. “We want everybody on our campus to be safe.”
