I hope you got it out of your system, people. Today’s the day that you can no longer use a handheld mobile device in California and Washington (the two states where I spend most of my time). So break out the Bluetooth headsets and don’t even think about checking emails. It’s the law.
The first time fine in California is just $20, but the real deterrent is public opinion. Yesterday it was acceptable to drive around Silicon Valley talking on the phone. Today, people will give you dirty looks.
Of course, many other states and lots of countries have had no-mobile-while-driving laws for years. It’s just a matter of time before everywhere else jumps on board, too.
There’s just one problem - some studies have shown that talking on hands-free devices are just as dangerous as talking on cell phones regularly.
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.
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.