Distracted driving laws include GPS use

New Hampshire’s “hands-free driving” law went into effect in July 2015, but legislators are still wrangling over some aspects of policy regarding driver use of mobile electronic devices. One point of contention is being debated in HB 1158, a bill that would allow hands-on use of global positioning system (GPS) devices or other navigation systems, including the use of navigation applications on smartphones, while vehicles are being operated.

Currently, such systems can only be manipulated by drivers in active vehicles by way of voice commands. Supporters of a change point out that drivers are still allowed to manually operate radios and climate control systems. As an essential part of driving, navigation systems should be treated no differently.

Opponents counter that the use of navigation apps or devices is just as distracting as texting or other mobile device activity, and point out that drivers who need to change their destination mid-route can do so legally either through vocal commands or by pulling off the road to a safe place to input a command.