In 2005, Connecticut became one of the first states to institute a ban on the use of handheld cell phones while driving.  Last week, the state went a step further by banning...texting?

Apparently some CT drivers didn't get the memo five years ago - the new law makes it explicitly clear that both texting and talking on a handheld phone while driving are illegal.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who signed the bill into law last Thursday, explained that, while Connecticut already had legislation in place to prevent distracted driving, it was "time to bolster that law," reports NBC Connecticut.

Additionally, the new legislation does away with text in the old law that allowed first-time offenders to avoid punishment if they purchased their own hands-free devices after the initial incident, a loophole Gov. Rell described as a "get-out-of-jail-free provision."

Minors looking to continue chatting and driving with a hands-free device are out of luck. The law bans the use of any mobile device by a driver under the age of 18.

The law also bans texting for drivers of all ages, increasing fines up to $200.

If you are a driver in Connecticut, let us know how you feel about this new law.