Oregon Bill Would Boost Fines for Drivers on Phones
Motorists caught talking on their cell phones or texting while driving would face stiffer fines – up to $1,000 – under a bill that is being considered in the Oregon Legislature.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved the bill put forth by Senate President Peter Courtney. The Salem Democrat says he would like to see distracted driving treated the same way as drunken driving.
The proposed law is intended to make motorists take the existing law more seriously.
Committee members watched a video demonstrating the dangers of texting and heard from law enforcement officers who support the bill.
A House bill aims to increase the fines for drivers caught using their cell phones to $2,000.
The maximum fine is currently $250.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Popular Today
- Goldman Sachs Ensnared in EY Data Breach Earlier This Year
- Tesla Drops ‘Self-Driving’ Branding to Appease Europe Regulators
- Will California’s New Smoke Claims Law Create a Recovery Bottleneck?
- Hurricane Isaias Reaches Category 3 as It Nears Florida, Alabama
Popular This Month
- Florida Bans Flock Cameras, License Plate Readers From State Roads
- The Great Hemp Reset: How the Federal Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products Will Reshape Risk and Coverage
- Severe Convective Storms: Risk, Field Reality and the Path to Resilience
- New Corgi, Liberate, VERVE Claims Tech. Do We Need New Acronyms?