Missouri drivers are starting the new year with a resolution not of their own making: to keep their hands off their phones while driving or face hefty fines. Today, what was once just a heads-up will manifest into a more tangible consequence, as the new hands-free law—officially named the Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law after two families affected by tragic driving incidents—shifts from warning to enforcement, as reported by FOX4KC.
Initially enacted in August 2023, the law was given a grace period whereby law enforcement issued over 1,500 warnings. The purpose was to give drivers ample time to adjust their habits, but starting January 1, penalization looms over those refusing to comply. As KSDK reports, the law stipulates that drivers cannot hold a mobile device even while stopped at a traffic light, however, it's noteworthy that this is a secondary violation, meaning an officer must have another reason for stopping a vehicle before they can issue a ticket for phone use.
The gravity of distracted driving surfaces in the harrowing story of Adrienne Siddens, who lost her husband, Randall, to a driver distracted by video chatting. "She swerved and actually almost hit the police car, swerved around the police car and then ended up hitting Randall, knocking down his coworker and crashing into the back of their truck," Siddens said in a statement obtained by KSDK. Her story and advocacy helped push the legislation forward, leading to the law's namesake as a sobering reminder of the potential consequences of distracted driving.
With enforcement of the law set to begin, the penalties are set to hit drivers where it hurts: their wallets. A first offense will incur a $150 fine, with the price steeping to $250 for a second offense and a sharp increase to $500 for subsequent violations. The stakes are particularly high considering that 414 lives were lost in distraction-related crashes in Missouri from 2019 to 2023, according to data shared in an interview by Jon Nelson of MoDOT with St. Louis Public Radio. Such data underpins the law's focus on cutting down preventable tragedies.
Missouri's new direction in road safety has recorded early signs of effectiveness. A reported 5% reduction in real-time phone usage by drivers, as shown by Cambridge Mobile Telematics and mentioned by AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria to KSDK, estimates about 1,000 crashes prevented and five lives saved since implementation.
