I was pulled over for using my phone in Nevada, and was issued a ticket even though I was looking at a map on my phone and not texting or calling anyone. Can I fight this or should I just pay the $50 fine?
Nevada’s new prohibitions against driving while texting and using handheld cell phones are in full effect. Fines are $50 (first offense), then $100 (second) and then $250 (subsequent violations). Enforcement of the Nevada bans is primary, meaning drivers can be stopped and cited for that reason alone. Cell phone use is allowed only if a hands-free accessory is employed throughout the call.
Here is the exact wording of the new bans:
Drivers cannot: “Manually type or enter text into a cellular telephone or other handheld wireless communications device, or send or read data using any such device to access or search the Internet or to engage in non-voice communications with another person, including, without limitation, texting, electronic messaging and instant messaging.”
By my interpretation, the new ban includes use of the device to access data of any kind - INCLUDING grabbing the phone to look at a map.
The whole point is that using a handheld device like that can very easily distract the driver. That's why they make navigation programs for your phone, as well as standalone units, that actually SPEAK to you to give you directions on where you are going. If you needed to look at a map to figure out where you were going, you needed to stop driving and pull over to do so.
Of course you should pay the fine. What you did was in clear violation of the law. You're just lucky that your distraction didn't cause an accident where you, or an innocent bystander or other driver, were injured. Distracted driver laws are created for a reason.
