Reply Across the Commonwealth there were 30,744 citations and warnings issued between Feb. 23 and Dec. 31, 2020, according to MassDOT data. (Jenna Fisher/Patch) READING, MA — It's been nearly one year since Massachusetts implemented the distracted driving law and state and local police departments have handed out over 30,000 tickets or warnings since the start date on Feb. 23 2020. Under the distracted driving law, drivers aren't allowed to use cell phones while behind the wheel, not even to hold while it's on speaker. The penalty for violating the law is a $100 on the first offense with increases for each offense after. Drivers can use hands-free technology including Bluetooth, "single tap or swipe" to activate or deactivate hands-free mode, navigation technology mounted to the car's dash and phone use in emergency situations. Drivers may use their phones if they are stationary and not in an active traffic lane.