The use of cell phones and other mobile devices of any kind while driving will soon be illegal in South Carolina.

The South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act was passed in May and signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster. The law will officially go into effect Sept. 1.

It supersedes the state’s texting-and-driving law, which only prohibited drivers from using a mobile device to send a text message while driving. The penalty for texting and driving was a $25 fine and no points against the driver’s license.

South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway said the new law aims to keep cell phones and other electronic devices out of people’s hands while driving. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, distracted driving contributes to more than

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