Imagine Texting While Driving In NJ… You Can’t, But One State Still Allows It

If you've ever crawled down Route 42, sat in traffic on the Garden State Parkway, or inched along I-295, you know one thing: New Jersey roads demand your full attention.

That's why it's almost impossible to believe that one U.S. state still doesn't have a statewide ban on texting while driving.

Montana remains the only state that hasn't passed a statewide law specifically banning drivers from texting behind the wheel.

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Why It Works in Montana, But Never Would In New Jersey

Montana is one of the least populated states in the country. Many highways stretch for miles with little traffic, and lawmakers have historically left distracted driving rules up to local communities instead of creating one law for the entire state.

That approach is hard to picture here.

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New Jersey is the most densely populated state in America. On any given day, our roads are packed with commuters, Shore traffic, delivery trucks, school buses, and people trying to shave a few minutes off the drive home. Looking down at your phone for even a couple of seconds can mean missing sudden stop-and-go traffic.

There's A Good Reason New Jersey Doesn't Mess Around

New Jersey has some of the toughest distracted driving laws in the country, and honestly, it's easy to see why. With so many drivers sharing relatively small roadways, eliminating distractions helps reduce crashes and keeps traffic moving as safely as possible.

Could you imagine people freely texting while merging onto the Parkway or squeezing through the 42 freeway during rush hour? It would be chaos.

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A Different World Behind the Wheel

Montana's wide-open highways make it one of the few places where lawmakers have taken a different approach, although some cities there do enforce their own texting bans.

For drivers in South Jersey, though, it's another reminder that some laws make perfect sense depending on where you live. And with the amount of traffic we deal with every single day, this is one rule most New Jerseyans probably wouldn't want to see disappear.