Keep your hands off the cell phone come July
Share this pageClaudiu Stoenescu, a database manager from San Ramon, never thought of himself as a wireless headset kind of guy. But his wife insisted he buy the wireless earpiece for his cell phone last month.
The reason: She wants him on the right side of the law when he makes future calls in the car.
Come July 1, drivers in California who make or receive phone calls other than emergencies will be required to have a hands-free way of talking. Motorists who don’t can be pulled over and cited, $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent violations.
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State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, the author of the law, said he’s not concerned about how drivers comply, just as long as they do. He said he still favors a corded headset for conversations that can’t wait until he pulls over.
While going hands-free won’t eliminate all cell-phone-related accidents or in-car distractions, he said, it can greatly reduce the number of accidents attributed to cell phone use. According to the California Highway Patrol, there were 1,232 collisions in 2006 that were attributed to handheld cell phone use, compared with 71 collisions that involved hands-free use.
“What this hands-free bill will do is make sure folks who have put themselves at greater risk can at least control their car,” Simitian said. “Will that make a difference? The answer is absolutely yes.”
Full article on the San Francisco Chronicle website