Californians spend half the day in their cars. I doubt this is going to deter many.

Don’t give hint to the govt. to ban hands-free devices too..

’tis about time … from the days of mccaw cellular, dorks with phones have nearly run me over more times than i can count. good thing i don’t carry a gun

$20 fine isn’t really going to deter people. In the UK it’s a £60 fine ($120) or 3 points on your license, which stay on there for four years. You only get 12 points before you’re banned……Then people aren’t angry with you…..just disappointed, which is what hurts most.

I’d query that study. The drop in concentration is one thing, sure, but the fact is we should all be driving around in full control of our vehicles, which means both hands on the wheel. Banning people from holding devices might not help the concentration issue, but will mean that people have both hands free and aren’t being foolish and indicating, changging gear *and* steering all with one hand.

Also, fact is you can’t look where you’re going and check emails/SMS while you drive anyway, so really I don’t see why people complain about it.

There is one reason to argue against bans like this, I blogged about it a long time ago so I’ll post the link here, see what you think (apologies if it’s rude of me to post a link but I thought it was relevant to the discussion): http://shipcreak.blogspot.com/.....ction.html

What happens today is insignificant in the whole scheme of things…..

Just focus on the technology that will debut during the next decade

Voice activated Web and email inside vehicles - that really work and can translate text to voice with natural voices and intonations

I wonder how long it will take before they start prohibiting/fining smoking, drinking (non-alcohol of course) and eating behind the wheel. I am sure the Drivethru-Fastfood-Lobby will have something against the latter two.

Heck maybe they will ban conversations with other passengers as well. Out of experience I think most drivers can say that a conversation within car people can distract the driver even more than a phone call on your cell. And let us not forget the child-sitting-in-the-back-throwing-toys situation. Maybe safety nets will come packaged with child seats.

Paternalism is not the way to go.
Cultivate common sense.

I don’t think $20 will help cultivate common sense. $200 probably would. When you talk on the phone while driving, you compromise not only your personal safety, but also safety of those whom you may drive into.
On my personal scale, eating is less dangerous than chatting over mobile, but still dangerous.

@Neil Barnwell: ban hands-free as well as fm radio and mp3 players to resolve “concentration issue”

I just have a problem with government trying to legislate every little dang thing. If they are going to FORCE us to use hands free devices, they should give us a subsidy to buy the stupid things. Thank goodness I am moving to Austin where there is no such law.

You will all get used to the situation. Some will still use their mobile phones as they did before, others, who see the reason-why will obey the law. It is just like with speeding. Everybody is restricted, some follow the rules, some don’t.

I forgot one thing. The law is stupid as long as it restricts one’s own freedom. It becomes valuable when your life has been saved by it OR you hurt/killed someone else by not obeying it. And to put it into the right context: I am only referring to the mobile phone issue - no other law.

@banhands-freeaswellasfmradio. That was my point - this ban won’t necessarily help the concentration problem, which is why the study doesn’t carry a lot of weight for me.

My point was that this ban does at least fix a different problem, which is people feeling it’s okay to fiddle with their phones, reading email and text messages, looking for phone numbers etc while they should be looking where they’re going. Even when stopped, it’s not really acceptable, because you need to have spatial awareness, and that goes out the window when you’re not paying attention.

And yes, I know you could go a long way with this and say that people shouldn’t mess with the car stereo, but at least car stereos have a lot of engineering put into make then touchy-feely, so you know where the volume is without having to look at it. Phones (especially touch-screen ones like the iPhone) aren’t designed with the same goals in mind, and most things you do with a phone require you look at the screen anyway, even if they were.

@Jason I see your point, but when safety of others around you is involved, I would suggest that arguments “on principle” carry less weight.

Maybe a ban on airbags, with a mandatory steel spike as a replacement, might actually be more likely to work?

Neil Barnwell: changging gear *and* steering all with one hand.

That’s not really an issue in California (or the US generally) where nearly all cars are automatic. A handset ban makes sense in Europe on the basis of having one less hand available since nearly all cars are stick-shift there, but in the US it’s clearly based on the concentration / distraction issue.

The argument of hands free being as distracting, however, is an interesting one. If this the case, perhaps conversation with other passengers should be banned, as talking to them could also be distracting.

@Peter Cooper: “nearly all cars are automatic”

I have an issue with the “nearly” in this sentence. Changing gear was only an example anyway, what about turning signals?

government regulation is bad. no to $20 fines. no to fines for antitrust behavior. end the paternalism. cultivate common sense. etc.

Here in the Netherlands the fine is € 130 app. 200 dollar. I once scratched my ear and was fined! So watch out.

What??? $20? Lol…
It’s 100 EUR here.

Once you get a decent bluetooth hands-free kit, you realise how plain convenient it is. Just because it’s the law doesn’t necessarily make it a bad idea

And of course, a bigger danger is taking your Eyes off the road while you send text messages/emails etc - services like ours at http://www.dial2do.com can help with that.

Some people though, are probably beyond help… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDlYSPVro0Q

I am guessing the real estate lobby had something to do with the low fine, but of course that is just plain making things up. I expect that fine to go up to the $272 the state charges for other moving violations once the habit is ingrained a bit.

I was ticked when I first read the article, but leave it to our European friends to put ridiculous fines, outrageous legislation, and general absurdity into proper perspective. Thanks guys!

On a similar note, it’s amusing how many of you are duped into thinking this is somehow a paternalistic safety issue. It’s not. This is California: it’s about revenue generation.

$20.00 THAT’S PEANUTS……LET THEM FEEL …TO BE RESPONSEBLE The diferent concentration levels makes bad decission we don’t need studys if we have commen sence.we should all be driving 100 % control of our vehicles. This happen in Orlndo..a mother and her infant crossing on a green light, the lady sed she was on the cell and did not see the red light or the family. Just think this was you…

So ban smoking in cars, drinking coffee, putting on makeup, eating, etc. I’ve never cared for this law cause there are so many other stupid things men and women do that is a detriment to their driving and other peoples safety.

Illegal to do so in UK too - And you can get sentenced!

Ok $20? That’s comical, I just got one for $85. Consider yourself very lucky Cali.

driving with cell phones is a hazard, it’s a pitty the fine is a non-deterring $20.
in israel the its $272

Drivers should drive. I heard that somewhere recently. There’s too many things to distract you nowadays in a car. It’s so dangerous.

Whilst in LA this year, we hired two motorcycles to have fun and explore, and the amount of distracted people not looking where they were going was insane.

As has been said, in the UK it’s been illegal for a while now, so public opinion is that you’re a bad person if you use a phone whilst driving. I know some bikers who will quite happily take a phone from a drivers hand as they overtake them if they see it.

@scoof: “I once scratched my ear and was fined! So watch out.”

This is my problem with laws like this. As a person with law enforcement experience, I feel sorry for the cops given the task of enforcing the unenforceable laws that politicians dream up. How can you tell if someone is on the phone? Most devices are so small these days that an ear scratch or a person choosing to rest his head on his hand for a moment would be subject to the same “evidentiary” observations.

The other thing I find amusing about this law: police officers are trained to conduct high-speed chases in many of these same jurisdictions where the same politicians have not ponied up for hands-free radio sets. When could “concentration” be more needed?

True story: my friend got a ticket for driving without a headset (NJ).

He forgot about the ticket, and months later was pulled over because one of his headlights were out from an accident that he wasn’t at fault for.

Cop runs his license, and sure enough, suspended license for failing to pay the headset permit. Bench warrant issued for his arrest.

He was arrested and actually went to jail. He eventually got out in 14 hours, but he said you don’t really know how long it’ll be - they just tell you it could be 72 hours.

Yay America - jail time for not using a headset.

You folks complaining about the government taking away your freedoms are a bit confused. You don’t have any “right” to drive a car. It is a privilege that requires a license (at least in the US). If you are doing something while exercising that privilege which puts the rest of society at risk of injury or death (DWI, messing about w/ your mobile), you should lose that privilege. I can’t count the number of times I have been nearly mowed down by some moron chatting on his/her mobile while driving … completely oblivious to the world. How many deaths each year are caused by people treating their car like a big toy?

“And of course one result of the new law will be that people who talk on their cell phones while driving now have to keep a lookout for the police, too, distracting them even more.”

Yeah the law is terrible making criminals get distracted. Drugs dealers have the same problem

and that study doesnt mention Bluetooth, it was probably done using those crappy wired hands free sets you get free with every phone.

Today is the first day for Washington’s ban. It’s a secondary offense, so they can only get you on it if they pull you over for something else, but it’s $120 (i think…).

As a New Yorker, the state that first banned cell phones while driving, we are fined 50-300 (the latter for second offenses or how much of a prick the cop is) I’ve seen people blatently disregard the law, they don’t care. Even the fact that some horrific deaths have happened recently because of txting while driving or using a cel phone, nothing deters people. Good luck, Cali. Maybe the governator can dons the old leather and enforce the law himself. Or maybe pigs will fly. Whatever happens first.

1st person: Knock! Knock!
2nd person: Who’s there?
1st person: Control freak.
1st person: Now you say control freak who!

They took some of the best geography in the country, let it overpopulate, and legislate it into oblivion. Lord does california suck.

That pic was perfect. Good law but how about some teeth? Dirty looks? Oh please! They get that anyway & it doesn’t deter any.

Twenty bucks? Please. Your buttocks should be caned, you car should be impounded & sold as scrap metal, and you should be sent to Guantanamo!

Or worse. Forced to listen to a McCain speech.

Oh, yeah. I said it. &, um, yeah, I said buttocks.

If you can afford a BMW, you can afford an @#()$*&@#)($ hands-free device. I can’t believe the # of people still driving expensive/new cars who still try to profile on their phones.

Oh, and BWM 3 series are plastic piece of craps so give up the attitude!

SNAP!

Ok, where’s my coffee….

this is common in many countries now and 20USD fee is nothing. Here in Germany its 40EUR (12 points and its gone). Nothing compared to Italy though, you have to pay 600 EUR there!

Let’s get it right…It’s a $124.00 in Washington state.

@Greg - you’re the one confused. Freedoms and rights aren’t the same thing.

Wow tickets for such offense in New York State are $100 dollars!

All i got to say is its about time the rest of the country has to follow the same laws as us in New York. We haven’t been able to drive and talk for years.

It is annoying as hell to encounter a driver on the phone, and they’re everywhere in America. Many countries have long banned it, so it’s about time. This should really be a federal law.

@41 - “…us in New York. We haven’t been able to drive and talk for years.”

I’ve been to New York. You guys haven’t been able to drive, period.

/Left lane is for passing!

The fine here in CA is $20, but it goes up for every offense. $20, $40, $80, $160. People here in CA have short-term memory issues, so before they know it they will probably be paying over $200 and still not realize that its a law to put that phone down.

They are actually charging $95 bucks instead of $20 here in San Diego county. Safety my ass.

@Neil Barnwell: And yes, I know you could go a long way with this and say that people shouldn’t mess with the car stereo, but at least car stereos have a lot of engineering put into make then touchy-feely, so you know where the volume is without having to look at it.

Actually, I’d like to see car stereos go away as well, not so much for the distraction factor, but that they prevent drivers from hearing the environment outside the car, in particular emergency sirens.

If anything, I’d like to see car radios be limited to a set of fixed channels reserved for traffic and public-safety information. In addition, require more outside noise to be heard as well…

So do we ban disabled people with one from driving too ?

OPPS meant “do we ban disabled people with ONE arm from driving ?

The headsets don’t solve anything, you still have to handle the phone to dial a call and push at least one button to answer a call ? The law does not address dialing, only holding the phone to your ear while talking ???

Thank god I will never see another attractive wealthy soccer mom driving down the street in her escapade or denali yapping on the phone.. WHOOHOOO!!!!

The most dangerous part of the cell phone and driving conversation is when people look down to text, type in a number, or pull from contacts - not when you are talking on the phone. Whether you are using hands free or not, you still have to pull up a number. 95% of mobile phone users in cars don’t use voice activated dialing. Do I see an opportunity for a new product?.. http://www.readtheanswer.com/index.php?RTA=web2

Let’s just hope the cops don’t figure out they can circle around the airport arrivals area and ticket all the people who came to pick up someone.

Unfortunately the $20 will not work. It should have started at least at $50, if not $100. I was talking with my uncle the other day and he told me he’ll wait until he gets a few tickets before he starts using one. It was too much of an inconvenience to learn it.

Also, other things of note: It outright bans the usage of phones for minors (18 years and under), but it is a secondary offense for minors. They can’t be pulled over for it.

Here is a really good overview: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/index.htm

personally, I am really excited that this has happened. I am SOOO annoyed with people not paying attention while they are driving. This may not help the dumb people, but at least the soccer moms in big SUVs can use both hands to drive again.

But reading a newspaper or a book, working on your laptop, or putting on makeup are still OK.

What’s stupid about this is that there were already laws in place against driving while distracted. Now, we’re going to have to ban everything individually.

But, it always feels better to create new laws rather than just enforcing existing ones. Makes the voters feel like the politicians are actually doing something.

The base fine for the FIRST offense is $20 and $50 for subsequent convictions. According to the Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule, with the addition of penalty assessments, a first offense is $76 and a second offense is $190.

It’s not just a $20 fine. You have to pay a court surcharge for processing the ticket which puts the total cost at around $100 for the first offense in Los Angeles County. The second offense doubles the fine with another increase in the surcharge.

@Aaronontheweb Really? Well crap. maybe I wont try to get by until I move to Austin. I was thinking, I will just put my iphone speaker on and put it resting on my shoulder. That is how I talk at home when I am typing away.

@ PR NY: Who knows we may not even have to worry about staying on the road - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7481940.stm

Your picture if it is an attempt to be funny is actually crass and makes fun of very serious issue.

The next time TC wants to make fun of something the staff should consider if it is a life or death issue… Reckless Driving can be Life or Death. Ask the parents of the car load of teenagers who were killed last year because the driver (a teenage girl) was texting her boyfriend and talking on the phone while driving.

You guys are such a disappointment so often for what is supposed to be a smart group of people. You guys should know there are better ways to make a point.

So we’re all waiting for the day when we can use telepathy?

While I don’t think this will make a huge difference, I think it’s a good effort to ensure that drivers are more cautious and safe while on the road. Any little bit helps, and it’s not that great of an inconvenience to have to use a bluetooth headset..so why not? I don’t see why people have such ill feelings towards this new law.

Could you please put a little disclaimer in the post….the ticket amount depends on which county in CA you get caught in. It’s $97 for adults in San Diego county and $211 for subsequent offenses. I believe the fine is also about $100 in the Bay Area. $20 is simply the minimum required by the state.

Al Ramirez - right. except yesterday i wasn’t a bad person for talking on my cell phone in the car. today I’m guilty of a crime. death isn’t funny, but laws sure are.

eCurmudgeon - your a loser.

It’s about time. This is what the government is good for - implementating laws that prevent people, who are either too dumb or selfish, from doing stupid things that negatively impact the lives of others.

Yeah, I also think that study is bollocks. How can talking on a hands free be as dangerous as driving with one hand? I’m actually surprised it’s taken California this long to adopt a law that should have been in place years ago, although a $20 fine won’t cause many to change their ways.

@Michael Arrington - The thing is that with new technology comes new laws. If enough people are killed or injured or involved in accidents while talking or texting then a law should be put in place, but with the invention of the cell phone no one could have forseen the need for such a law. There was a warning to all this, it’s not like TechCrunch is breaking an exclusive. People do have time to change their ways before these laws start taking effect.

@Dave - thanks for the clarification on the fine charges - hopefully those amounts WILL cause people to think twice.

Here in the Philippines… well, here in the Philippines… forget about it.

But they strictly implement “No Mobile Texting/SMS and Calls while walking in the streets”, I was almost caught one time haha :p

“some studies have shown that talking on hands-free devices are just as dangerous as talking on cell phones regularly.”

Exactly right. Which is why there should be a complete ban on mobile use while driving.

The tickets actually prob more like $93 after surcharges.. so Id double check. a seat belt ticket is $20…but after fees its $93. The state of california even profits of the victims of september 11th.. the have a $20 sept 11th security surcharge on every ticket since like 2002.. to cover “enhanced security” due to terrorism threats. yet the traffic court in the south bay is done out of basically a trailer with not even a metal detector.. some enhancement… oh yeah and security for night court costs $1 a ticket.. or 1/20th of what they are getting per ticket then they get for day court. can you say windfall for changing nothing..

@Consequences: I believe smoking while driving is banned in Norway.

@no: I thought BMWs were activated by the driver holding a phone to his ear - for me it’s an almost daily occurrence to follow one for miles until they hang up and notice that someone’s waiting to overtake…

All countries in Europe have had a handsfree-only law for some time now, with the exceptions of Russia and Sweden.
In Sweden the supposed justification is that handsfree is also dangerous - strange logic…

There are enough irresponsible people around to make some restrictions necessary for the safety of others.
Can’t understand some of you freedom-(for-me)-at-all-costs types…

As a matter of fact, the danger is not primarily in using one hand for holding up the phone but in immersing yourself into the conversation and into the distant world of your communication partner.

It’s simply dangerous using the phone in your car. And it’s dangerous approaching others using their phones. That nothing ever happened to all of us - and I used to use my cell phone a lot during driving time - is statistics and luck.