Mark Anderson | August 19, 2026 | Car Accidents
Using a cell phone while driving can lead to a traffic ticket, higher costs, and a serious accident. The consequences of using your cell phone while driving in Texas depend on what you are doing with the phone, where you are driving, and whether distracted driving causes a car accident.
Texas has a statewide ban on reading, writing, or sending electronic messages while operating a vehicle unless the vehicle is stopped. Other restrictions apply to certain drivers and locations.
Is It Illegal To Text and Drive in Texas?
Under Texas law, drivers cannot use a portable wireless device to read, write, or send an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is stopped. This rule applies to activities such as sending or reading text messages and emails while driving. It has been in effect statewide since 2017.
Are All Cell Phone Uses Illegal While Driving?
Texas does not have a general statewide ban on every type of cell phone use by all adult drivers. However, additional restrictions apply in certain situations.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, drivers under 18 cannot use handheld devices while driving, and drivers with learner’s permits face additional restrictions during their first six months of driving. Handheld device use is also prohibited in active school zones.
Even when a particular phone use is not expressly prohibited, it can still be dangerous if it takes a driver’s eyes, hands, or attention away from the road.
What Are the Penalties for Texting While Driving?
A driver who violates Texas’s texting law can face a fine. TxDOT states that someone caught reading, writing, or sending a text while driving may face a fine of up to $200.
The consequences can become much more serious if distracted driving contributes to a collision that injures or kills someone. In addition to traffic or criminal consequences, the driver may face civil liability for the harm caused.
Why Is Cell Phone Use So Dangerous?
Cell phone use can create several forms of distraction at once. A driver may:
- Look away from the road to read a message
- Remove a hand from the steering wheel to type
- Focus attention on a conversation instead of traffic
- Miss a changing light or a slowing vehicle
- React too slowly to a sudden hazard
Even a brief distraction can be enough to cause a rear-end collision, sideswipe, pedestrian accident, or other serious crash.
Can Cell Phone Use Prove Negligence After a Crash?
Cell phone use can become important evidence in a Texas car accident claim.
If a driver was texting or otherwise distracted before a crash, evidence of that behavior may help show that the driver failed to use reasonable care. Useful evidence may include:
- Cell phone records
- Witness statements
- Police reports
- Dash camera footage
- Traffic camera footage
- Admissions by the driver
The exact evidence available will depend on the circumstances of the accident.
Can You Recover Compensation After a Distracted Driving Accident?
If a distracted driver causes an accident, injured people may be able to seek compensation for their losses.
Damages may include:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Future medical treatment
- Pain and suffering
Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule. An injured person can generally recover compensation if they are not more than 50% responsible for the accident, but their compensation is reduced by their percentage of fault.
Contact Anderson Injury Lawyers To Schedule a Free Consultation With a Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney
Using a cell phone behind the wheel can lead to fines, distracted driving accidents, and financial liability for injuries you cause. Texas specifically prohibits reading, writing, or sending electronic messages while driving, and additional restrictions apply to younger drivers and certain locations.
Putting the phone away until the vehicle is safely stopped can help drivers avoid a ticket and, more importantly, reduce the risk of causing a serious crash. If you’ve been in an accident, contact Anderson Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a car accident lawyer.
We proudly serve Tarrant County, Dallas County, Travis County, and throughout Texas.
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About the Author
Mark A. Anderson is the founder of Anderson Injury Lawyers and a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer—an honor held by only a small percentage of Texas attorneys. He earned his law degree from Baylor University School of Law and has spent more than 20 years helping injury victims across Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. Mark handles cases involving car accidents, truck accidents, product liability, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, and more. Click here to view some of the successful case results Mark has achieved for his clients.
Location: Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin, Texas
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