Yes, Texting and driving is illegal in Alaska. Texting and driving is a Class A Misdemeanor in Alaska punishable by up to one year in prison and up to $10,000 in fines for a first offense. If a fatal accident occurs as a result of texting while driving, these penalties escalate to a Class A Felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
The Statistics
News about distracted driving is plentiful. It may be that the public has become jaded to all of the warnings about using cellphones while driving. Even the proliferation of laws designed to prevent it and ensure road safety haven’t seemed to have much of an impact. According to statistics from NSC, The U.S. has seen three straight years of at least 40,000 roadway deaths – from 2016 through 2018. Texting is not always the primary culprit, as only ~5% of accidents were attributed to texting. On the other hand, 21% of accidents involved talking on handheld or hands-free phones.
Texting and Driving in Alaska is Illegal
In Alaska, using electronic devices while driving is a criminal offense. Alaska law defines this as driving while “the person is reading or typing a text message or other non-voice message or communication on a cellular telephone”. Just being caught in the act is a class A misdemeanor with fines of up to $10,000 and up to a year in prison. The penalties escalate if an accident occurs: if someone dies as a result of the accident, the penalty is a class A felony. Class A felonies in Alaska are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. These are only the criminal penalties. While these can ruin the life of the person who commits the offense by saddling him or her with a criminal record, the real tragedy is the ruined, or even lost life of an innocent victim.
The Merdes Law Firm has been helping injured Alaskans for more than 30 years. It’s who we are. And while we hope you never need us … We’re here if you do. ~ Ward Merdes
Information Sources: National Safety Council; Find Law
Image Source: Car and Driver
