Jun 30, 2008 11:47 pm US/Pacific
Bay Area Drivers Prepare For Hands-Free Phone Law
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ―
A new statewide law is set to go into effect Tuesday that will prohibit drivers from holding a cell phone while talking on the road.
California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Jaime Coffee said that law enforcement agencies have been spreading word about the law since it passed in 2006.
"We are going to begin enforcing the law as soon as it goes into effect on July 1,'' Coffee said.
She also pointed out that the upcoming Fourth of July weekend will put more officers on the road for a maximum enforcement effort.
The law, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and prevents drivers from holding their cell phones while they talk, still allows motorists to use a hands-free device such as a Bluetooth or headset that does not cover both ears.
The legislation was introduced by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. A second law authored by Simitian also takes effect Tuesday and prohibits any driver under 18 from talking on a cell phone at all while driving.
Mathew Hom, a 55-year-old San Francisco resident who commutes via bicycle from the city's Sunset District to the Civic Center area, said the hands-free law is a good idea and that he is concerned about traffic as a bicyclist.
"I think we all should be more careful,'' said Hom.
According to the CHP, car crashes caused by drivers using handheld cell phones injured 447 people in 2007.
Noreen Ambrose, of San Francisco, said her cell phone came with a hands-free device, and with the law taking effect Tuesday, she will be searching through her residence to track down the cell phone box and take the device out.
Meanwhile, 50 year-old San Mateo resident Julie Ambrose who commutes to San Francisco for work, said, for her, the law is not a "huge deal.'' She said it won't affect her too much because she does not work over the phone and does not have children.
Ambrose, who is planning on cutting communication while driving rather than opting for a hands-free device, said that she has recently been seeing electronic signs on Bay Area highways alerting motorists of the law.
"They let us know very well,'' she said.
The base fine for violations is $20 for a first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses, but when including penalties and assessments, citations will average $76 for first-time offenders and $190 for subsequent offenders, according to Coffee.
Violations will show up on the driver's record, however the Department of Motor Vehicles will not assign a violation point.
Drivers may still use cell phones to make calls to emergency services agencies.
"The whole point of this is hopefully to ... allow the driver to focus on driving,'' Coffee said. "It's hoping to eliminate a distraction.''
The law does not prohibit sending text messages, however any law enforcement officer may cite a driver for not operating a vehicle safely.
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