Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing a bill that would stop drivers from recording or livestreaming video from behind the wheel, closing what one state senator calls a loophole in the state's hands-free driving law. Senate Bill S.2349, filed by Sen. Joanne M. Comerford, is currently pending in the Joint Committee on Transportation and would prohibit video recording or broadcasting while operating a vehicle.
The push comes as Massachusetts State Police and five other New England and New York agencies kick off Operation Wicked Safe, a multi-state crackdown on dangerous driving running Tuesday through Thursday. As reported by 1420 WBSM, which cited State House News Service, Comerford told lawmakers that the state's hands-free driving law bans holding or viewing a mobile device but doesn't explicitly prohibit recording video while a device is mounted or otherwise hands-free. Comerford believes the bill should be heard and ultimately put to a vote, according to the same report.
What the Current Law Does and Doesn't Cover
Massachusetts enacted its hands-free driving law in 2019, and state guidance from Mass.gov spells out that drivers cannot touch a phone except to activate it, and may use a vehicle console only in a way that doesn't impede operation of the car — touching a device for texting, emailing, apps, video or internet use isn't allowed. The underlying statute, Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90, Section 13, bars drivers from using a mobile electronic device except as specifically permitted, and requires one hand to stay on the wheel at all times.
What that law doesn't spell out, per Comerford's account, is video. The 1420 WBSM report notes that smartphone users have been spotted attending Zoom meetings and having real-time FaceTime chats while driving, and some videos show people addressing their phone cameras directly while behind the wheel. New Bedford Rep. Chris Hendricks, a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation, is also noted in that coverage as a lawmaker tracking the issue.
A Bill With a Rocky Legislative History
This isn't Comerford's first attempt. The 1420 WBSM article reports that her legislation was sent to a study committee in March 2026 — often a quiet way for bills to stall. The official bill page on malegislature.gov describes S.2349 simply as a petition for legislation to prohibit video recording or broadcasting while driving, without detailing exemptions, penalties or an effective date.
A related but separate measure, House Bill H.4490, had already traveled further through the process. According to the Fall River Reporter, that bill would have barred drivers from recording, broadcasting or taking images or videos of themselves while driving, and also would have prohibited using augmented-reality or mixed-reality devices behind the wheel. It would have barred viewing unrelated videos, images or text on vehicle screens, headsets or body-worn devices, while exempting hands-free activation symbols, manufacturer-installed equipment, audio or dispatch systems, and footage of passengers other than the driver. The outlet reported that bill passed the House and was pending before the Senate Rules Committee, and that the Transportation Committee had previously declined to advance an earlier Comerford bill on the same subject.
AAA Northeast spokesperson Mark Schieldrop told the Fall River Reporter that the House-approved measure would close a loophole letting drivers FaceTime or record social-media videos from a mounted phone while technically keeping their hands on the wheel. The outlet's reporting also included state data showing nearly 54,000 citations issued for violating the existing distracted-driving law and 1,037 distracted-driving crashes in the prior year, with manually operated electronic devices the leading type of distraction.
State Police Launch Regional Crackdown This Week
Separately, Massachusetts State Police announced an effort to crack down on distracted and aggressive driving through Operation Wicked Safe, a multi-state initiative targeting dangerous driving on major regional roadways. Per WWLP, the operation runs from Tuesday, October 13, through Thursday, October 15, this week, with state police from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont conducting highly visible and targeted patrols. The initiative focuses on aggressive driving, excessive speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving and other high-risk behaviors.
Drivers should expect a stepped-up trooper presence on Interstates 90, 91, 84, 93, 95 and 395, as well as Route 146 and other major roads, the station reports. WWLP's report also cited state figures showing more than 4,000 crash-related calls for service to Massachusetts State Police in October 2025 alone, with MassDOT recording 38 fatal crashes that same month. A 2025 AAA study cited in the same report found that 96% of drivers admitted to engaging in at least one aggressive-driving behavior over the prior year.
Whether Comerford's bill ultimately reaches a floor vote remains to be seen, but the timing puts the video-recording debate squarely alongside a broader regional effort to address distracted and aggressive driving, which officials describe as a growing factor in traffic crashes and fatalities.
