Jun 17, 2008

California Rolls Out Hands-free Phone Enforcement

California is the mobile phone capital of the United States, where driving and using a phone are nearly synonymous, but the rules are about to change. Residents and out-of-state visitors planning summer vacation trips to California in the coming months need to know that two new cell phone laws are going into effect in July. Beginning July 1, it will be illegal for drivers to use a handheld mobile phone while driving. And on that same date it will become illegal for drivers under the age of 18 to use any mobile phone or other electronic device, handheld or not, while driving. The law still allows drivers of all ages to use a cell phone or other mobile device in case of emergency. Other states have similar hands-free laws on their books, including New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. As the Auto Club of Southern California warns, going hands-free does not eliminate the distraction caused by the use of a phone in a vehicle, however.

“It’s the conversation that is the most important distraction for the driver, not the device itself,” said Steve Bloch, the Auto Club's senior researcher. “Advance planning will help toward being prepared for adapting to these new laws, but remember, hands-free is not risk-free.”

So how can Californians deal with the new laws without giving up their addiction to mobile calling? Some vehicles and mobile phones offer a way to hold a conversation hands-free through the vehicle’s onboard electronics and speakers. Other ways to go hands-free include dash-mounted cell phone cradles, a wireless headset or a wireless speaker. Fines for traffic citations stemming from violation of these laws range from $70 for a first offense to $190 for a repeat offense, when court costs and penalties are factored in, added Bloch.

Cell phone safety tips from the Auto Club include:

• Plan your route in advance to reduce the likelihood of calling for directions.
  
• Wait until you reach your destination to accept or make cell phone calls.
  
• Ask your passenger to take your cell phone call while you remain focused on the road.
  
• If you must take a cell phone call, pull into a parking lot while trying not to run over pedestrians, and shut your engine off.
  
• Suspend all cell phone conversations during hazardous traffic and weather conditions and lunar eclipses.
  
• Dump all your friends and become a recluse.