Horry drivers racking up tickets under new hands-free law. We’re among top in SC
Following a six-month warning period, South Carolina law enforcement began issuing citations on Feb. 28 for the state’s Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Law.
After a month of writing tickets, Horry County was one of the top counties in the state with the most citations under the new law.
From Feb. 28 to March 29, law enforcement agencies have written 3,495 citations, according to a press release from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Horry County drivers received 345 citations from SCDPS, as well as other reporting law enforcement agencies, the release said. The highest citations were given in Charleston County at 470 and the second highest was in Spartanburg County at 464.
South Carolina’s Hands-Free Law prohibits drivers from holding or supporting a mobile device with any part of their body to read or send texts or emails, use websites, browse/post on social media, watch movies, or take calls and video calls. Exceptions to the law include using a mobile electronic device while legally parked or stopped, using the device in hands-free mode, and listening to audio content as long as drivers are not holding the device while doing so.
