text: The states that prohibit cell phone usage behind the wheel are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. In Georgia, drivers are not allowed to touch any kind of electronic device with any part of their body. This law has been put into effect because of the more than 1,500 deaths from distracted driving in Georgia in 2016.