Hands-free law in Georgia: Predictors of post-law cellphone use among college drivers

•Young adults continue to touch cellphones while driving despite new law.•Prior cellphone use while driving best predicts continued use.•Cellphone addiction predicts illegal cellphone use while driving.•Positive attitudes and lower anxiety predict cellphone use among young adults. Young adults own and use cellphones at a high rate, including use while driving. A recent law in Georgia prohibits touching a cellphone while driving, providing a unique opportunity to assess the law’s effectiveness. In the present study, we predicted cellphone use among young adults (post law) based on prior use (pre law), anxiety associated with cellphone use, and components of the theory of planned behavior, including a modified measure of cellphone addiction. All variables significantly predicted cellphone use while driving, including reading and sending texts as well as answering and making calls. The strongest predictor across equations was prior behavior, indicating the inability of a law to break an established habit of cellphone use while driving. We offer several potential solutions to address cellphone use among young adults.