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Starting July 1, no cell phones in cars

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New Hampshire is in the middle of a public awareness campaign about the state's new distracted driving law.  Starting July 1, drivers face at least a $100 fine for using any electronic devices while driving.

Drivers over age eighteen may use hands-free devices.

Right now the state only prohibits texting while driving. 

At a press conference last week, state police Lt. Matthew Shapiro said that technology has outgrown the law against texting while driving.  Drivers are using phones not only to talk and text, but to check e-mail, select music, and look up directions.

"Our goal here is to save lives," he said.

Opponents of the new law argue that the state already has a sufficient law against distracted driving.  They say that the new law is an example of "nanny state" legislation, and that adults should be allowed to make their own decisions about the safety of cell phone use while driving.

Rep. Dan McGuire (R-Epsom) sponsored a 2015 bill to limit the prohibition on using cell phones to drivers under age 18, but the House killed that bill in March.

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