KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri State Highway Patrol says “inattention” is one of the leading causes of crashes in the state each year. If you’ve driven down a Missouri highway recently, you’ve likely seen the messaging in regard to the hands-free law and when enforcement for it begins. Starting next week, on January 1, a law that is already in effect will have fines attached to each violation. “In the last 18 months, since the law was passed, the Highway Patrol has warned about 1,500 drivers, so those are people that did get the message, but we all know, even though we can pull up the statistics and the numbers, we all know, as we drive down the highway and streets that people are still using their phone out there,” Captain Scott White with the Missouri State Highway Patrol shared. “The hands-free law prohibits holding or supporting a phone or other wireless device while they are driving.” Man suspected of shooting at same Belton house on three different days It’s important to note that drivers can still report a crime, medical emergency or traffic crash. You can also use hands-free options and Bluetooth capabilities. “Hopefully, it should save a few accidents. I see distracted drivers all the time when I’m driving past them,” Missouri driver, Victor Kizer shared. The Missouri Department of Transportation says that since the law went into effect in August of 2023, some data shows that distracted driving by cell phones has been down about 5%. “So even though that enforcement hasn’t begun yet, there are some early returns that hopefully the education, the public awareness, is raising this issue to the forefront and people are changing their behaviors,” Jon Nelson, State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation shared. “We know distracted driving is one of the primary causes of crashes in our state. It’s one of the primary causes of fatal crashes in our state.” MoDOT says last year (2023) in Missouri, there were at least 106 people that were killed by a distracted driver. The actual number, MDOT says is likely higher. “More than half of the time the person killed is someone other than the distracted driver,” Nelson added Many times, these distractions are the result of cell phone use. “People, our age, have an obsession with technology. I think it would just be good to set your phone down,” Emily Hamill, another Missouri Resident shared. Pursuit ends in deadly crash in Wyandotte County MoDOT hopes the hands-free law will have a positive impact on Missouri drivers. The fine for offenders is up to $150 for the first offense. If you have another offense in the first 24 months, Capt. White says it’s $250 and up to $500 for the third. Capt. White also claims drivers can face criminal charges for traffic crashes that result in property damage, injury, or death of another person. “It’s what we call a secondary violation meaning the officer, let’s say he observes the vehicle speeding, following too close, failure to use a turn signal, any of those other types of violations, if the officer stops the vehicle, and also observes cell phone use, that’s when the law can be enforced. It’s not a primary violation. Officers can’t stop somebody simply for having a phone in their hand,” Capt. White added. You can learn more about the hands-free law here. MHP says all drivers on Missouri Roadways shall not: "Hold or support a cell phone or other wireless device while driving. Drivers can use Bluetooth or voice-activated features while driving." "Manually type, write, send or read any text-based communications on an electronic communication device." "Watch, record, post, send, or broadcast a video or movie."