NH Court Rules Hands-Free Driving Law Doesn’t Ban Bluetooth Calls
The New Hampshire Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling and dismissed a hands-free driving violation against former State Representative J.R. Hoell. Hoell, who had been using his vehicle’s Bluetooth system while holding his phone, was found not to have violated the state’s hands-free law, as his phone’s use was unrelated to the call itself. The court’s decision clarified that merely holding a phone while using a hands-free device does not constitute a violation. This ruling stems from a 2021 traffic stop and could impact future interpretations of the state’s distracted driving law.
John Q. Hosedrinker