It is illegal here in California, you can get a simple (1 point) ticket if caught, or you can be charged with inattentive driving, the equivalent of wreckless driving, if it is especially egregious or you get in an accident, it’s officer’s choice. I got a ticket once because I was stopped at a light in front of a cop, the phone rang, and I reached down to hit the button to ignore it. He said I am not allowed to even touch my phone when driving, and being stopped at a stoplight is still driving. Since then I implemented the feature in iPhones that doesn’t ring through and then automatically texts a message to the caller telling them I am driving and not accepting calls. That of course doesn’t work with most land lines, but land lines are falling off fast now anyway.
3 years ago I got in an accident where I pulled up to a stop sign, then inched forward to see around parked cars. A girl was coming on my cross street and suddenly saw me, slammed on her brakes, fishtailed and her rear bumper caught my front license plate, tearing it out of my front bumper. She stopped, got out of the car, still holding her phone to her ear talking to her friend! In California if you get caught using a phone while driving and are under 18, your license is suspended until you turn 18, or a minimum of 6 months. She called her father, who called the police to take a report rather than just settle it out of court. I took pity on her and didn’t rat her out to the cop, but at the same time I told my truth to both him and my insurance, who decided there was equal fault and would not pay for her damage, which was much worse than mine. A few weeks later I get a knock on my door, it’s her father, chewing me out for “lying to the police” about how it happened. I explained to him how I had not told the cop about her being in the phone, his entire deneanor changed instantly. He said he was going to go back and check her phone records (remember, the cop had officially recorded the time frame). He called me back that night and apologized...