quote:Originally posted by Bill Gray:
Hi to all,
I have a new twist on cell phone lunacy. Starting on July 1st in California a driver must be over 18 and have a hands free cell phone if he/she is driving. The Highway Patrol and all police agencies are very strict on this new law. Get caught and there is no leniency -- no excuses -- a $100 fine for the first offense; $200 for the second -- and so on. This all makes great sense to me.
Yet, anyone, a teenager, an adult, anyone -- can still text message while driving. They can still surf the internet on their cell phone while driving a car.
But, don't talk on the cell phone without a hands free setup.
Which do you think is more likely to cause an accident on the freeway -- an adult talking on the cell phone -- or a teenager texting or surfing the web while driving?
California -- the land of fruits and nuts -- and this proves it. Of couse San Fran Nan (Nancy Pelosi) doesn't do much for the reputation of California either.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
From: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/index.htm
Q: Does the new “hands-free” law allow drivers 18 and over to text message while driving?
A: The law does not specifically prohibit that, but an officer can pull over and issue a citation to a driver of any age if, in the officer’s opinion, the driver was distracted and not operating the vehicle safely. Sending text messages while driving is unsafe at any speed and is strongly discouraged.
DRIVERS UNDER 18
Q: Am I allowed to use my wireless telephone "hands-free?"
A: No. Drivers under the age of 18 may not use a wireless telephone, pager, laptop or any other electronic communication or mobile services device to speak or text while driving in any manner, even "hands-free." EXCEPTION: Permitted in emergency situations to call police, fire or medical authorities (VC §23124).
Drivers under 18 are not allowed to use a cell phone at all while driving.
As for the adults:
Texting, while it is not expressly forbidden, any officer can still pull a driver over and give them a ticket for it. I think the driver would probably get a much worse ticket (like reckless driving) if this were the case. Perhaps texting was left out of the law so that the police officers could hit those drivers with even stiffer penalties. Hmmm...