Shrewsbury Police Cracking Down On Cell Phone Use While Driving

SHREWSBURY, MA — Police in Shrewsbury announced that their officers will crack down on cell phone use while driving.

Extra officers are expected to be on the streets throughout April to educate the public and enforce distracted driving, the Shrewsbury Police Department announced on Monday. SPD officers will focus on the "Hands Free Law," which prohibits drivers from using their cell phones while driving.

SPD said some of these efforts will include plainclothes officers walking along streets and at intersections and radioing violations they observe to nearby officers in marked cruisers.

The extra patrol officers will be in addition to the police department's normal staffing and will focus solely on these violations.

The funding for this is made available through the FY26 Municipal Road Safety Grant Program.

In November, SPD announced that it had received $38,000 in grant funding for traffic and crosswalk enforcement. The money is made available through the state's Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

Related: Shrewsbury Police Awarded $38K For Traffic, Crosswalk Enforcement

SPD said that in 2023, distracted driving claimed 3275 lives, while approximately 400,000 were injured, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

How the Hands-Free law applies to Massachusetts drivers

Penalties for drivers who are caught using a mobile device differ for those under 18 years old and over 18 years old.

Drivers under 18 years old may not use a mobile device, including any texting or phone calls, even if the device is in Bluetooth. That includes when a driver is stopped in traffic.

Penalties for drivers under 18 years old are a $105 fine, 60-day license suspension and a state-mandated driver attitude course (first offense); $255 fine, 180-day license suspension, attend a distracted driving program (second offense); and $505 fine, one-year license suspension, attend a distracted driving program (third offense).

For those over 18, drivers are allowed to use their phones in hands-free or Bluetooth-only mode. Drivers are not allowed to hold or view the device, even when stopped in traffic.

Penalties for drivers over 18 years old are: a $105 fine (first offense); a $255 fine and attendance in a distracted driving program (second offense); and a $505 fine and attendance in a distracted driving program (third offense).

SPD said the only exceptions to the violations are emergency use to call for assistance, navigation devices that are affixed to the vehicle and not handheld, and the one-touch rule, which can only be used to activate a hands-free feature.

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