Committee OKs bill to ban handheld cellphones while driving

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah House committee has passed a bill that would ban even holding a cellphone while driving.

The Deseret News reports the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee voted Wednesday to recommend the bill.

The bill, sponsored by House Minority Whip Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, makes any handheld use of a cellphone illegal while driving, even when using the phone for navigation and voice communication.

The bill would allow a single swipe or tap on a device that is mounted in a way that allows the driver to see the road. It also allows use in an emergency and for reporting hazards or crimes.

Moss presented a similar bill last year but the House Transportation Committee did not vote in favor of it.

Texting while driving and talking while holding the phone to an ear is already illegal in Utah.