Do you habitually text while driving? Here are the punishments under Idaho law if you do
Ding. Buzz. Beep.
Before taking your hands off the steering wheel of a moving vehicle to check that tweet notification or text message, consider the possible consequences.
Best-case scenario if you get caught by police? A moving violation, a fine and possible license suspension under Idaho law.
The worst-case scenario? Contributing to another of Idaho’s fatal crashes involving distracted driving.
In a study conducted by QuoteWizard, an insurance comparison site, Idaho is ranked as the 10th-worst state for the percentage of fatal crashes involving distracted driving.
Using crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, QuoteWizard found that of the 1,072 fatal car crashes in Idaho between 2017 and 2021, 118 involved a distracted driver for an incident rate of 11%.
According to the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety, there were 25,170 crashes as a result of distracted driving in Idaho between 2015 and 2019, resulting in 237 deaths.
That percentage is higher than the U.S. average of 8% but far below New Mexico. The Land of Enchantment’s distracted driver figures aren’t so enchanting — the state leads the nation with a 37% rate of fatal car crashes involving distracted driving (693 of 1,853 between 2017 and 2021).
What is distracted driving?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies texting and driving as distracted driving, and it’s easy to see why. Here are the three ways the CDC defines distracted driving:
Visual: Taking your eyes off the road
Manual: Taking your hands off the wheel
Cognitive: Taking your mind off driving
Unsurprisingly, texting ticks all of these boxes.
“If you’re texting or using a device, you’re not driving,” Idaho State Police Sgt. Curt Sproat said on the City of Boise’s website. “For a lot of people, devices have become a habit, but it’s a very dangerous habit when we’re driving. That’s why the law is in place, and if a citation is the incentive some drivers need to put the device down and focus on the road, officers now have that option.”
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey found that drivers under the age of 20 are more likely to be distracted drivers than those 21 and older. The same 2019 study also found that 39% of high school students surveyed had texted or emailed while driving in the past 30 days.
The City of Boise offers alternative options for drivers to keep in touch with the outside world while staying safe behind the wheel:
If you are expecting a text message or call or need to make one, pull over and park the car in a safe location before responding to a text.
Have a passenger as the “designated texter.” This person could access your phone and send or read things on your behalf.
Activate your phone’s “Do not disturb” mode.
Put the phone somewhere you can’t see or reach it, such as in the car’s glove box, trunk or backseat.
Texting and driving laws in Idaho
Although a description of texting and driving sounds simple, the Idaho Statutes offer a more nuanced and detailed version of what distracted driving entrails.
The state defines distracted driving in the section as using any mobile electronic device — including cellphones, laptops and tablets — while driving.
A few exceptions exist to the law, such as authorized first responders using a device to contact law enforcement, or hands-free navigation systems, providing that the user isn’t inputting information into the device while driving.
But for the general population, texting while driving is a no-go, so here’s what could happen if caught:
First offense: Moving violation and a $75 fine.
Second offense within a three-year period: Moving violation and a $150 fine.
Third offense or more within a three-year period: Moving violation and a $300 fine.
Driver’s license suspension: A court may suspend a person’s driver’s license for up to 90 days if the person has three or more distracted driving convictions in three years.
