If the police observe you breaking a state’s distracted driving regulation and have the authority to pull you over, it is known as primary enforcement. If the police can only issue a citation for distracted driving if you simultaneously violate another rule, it is known as secondary enforcement of distracted driving legislation.
North Carolina practices primary enforcement of distracted driving legislation. This means that even if you’re following all traffic laws and feel like you’re in complete control of your car at the time, you could still get pulled over and given a ticket if a police officer sees you writing a text or email while operating a motor vehicle.