Hands-free cellphone bill passes the South Carolina Senate

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) — The South Carolina Senate has given key approval to a bill banning anyone from holding a cellphone while driving.

The proposal faces one last routine vote before heading to the House, which has failed to pass a number of similar bills in recent years.

The bill allows drivers without Bluetooth to put the cellphone in a cradle and push a button to make or end a call or deal with a navigation app as long as they weren’t holding the phone. Any driver could hold a phone while parked or stopped.

Drivers caught holding a phone would face a $100 fine for the first offense and a $200 fine and two points on their driving record for each additional offense.

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