Skip to content

General Knowledge · Distracted Driving

Under federal regulation, which of the following is the one way a CDL driver may answer an incoming call on a mounted mobile phone without it counting as "hand-held" use?

1.Pressing a single button to answer the call, without holding the phone or pressing more than one buttonCorrect answer
2.Holding the phone steady in one hand while steering the vehicle with the other hand the entire time
3.Answering entirely by voice command alone, since any physical contact at all with the phone counts as hand-held use
4.Dialing a preset speed-dial code that is two or three digits long before actually beginning to speak

Explanation

Federal regulation allows a driver to answer a call by pressing a single button without that action counting as prohibited "hand-held" use; the definition in 49 CFR 390.5 specifically excludes initiating, answering, or ending a call by pressing a single button, while it does count dialing or answering by pressing more than one button, or holding the phone to talk. The other options fail for a shared reason: each either restates a form of use the regulation does prohibit (holding the phone, multi-digit dialing) or overstates the restriction by banning something the regulation does not reach (voice commands with no button press at all).

Source: 49 CFR 390.5 (definition of "use a hand-held mobile telephone")

Drill Distracted Driving questions