Stricter phone use while driving law effective Sunday
Starting on Sunday, law enforcement will begin to crackdown on drivers who use their cell phones while driving as part of a new law.
On Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1785 which no longer allows drivers to hold their phone for any reason while operating a motor vehicle.
The new law builds on the hand-free cell phone laws passed in the past, however those laws related specifically to text and talk on handheld devices while driving but still other uses were allowed.
“The goal is to lessen the distractions so the drivers can focus on the road,” said California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Fernando Alvarez. “The law isn’t to make our jobs easier, it’s for the safety of the driver and anyone else on the road.”
Despite the stricter rules the law does have an exemption. Drivers will be allowed to make a single tap or swipe on their devices as long as the phone is mounted or fixed to the vehicle’s dashboard or to the windshield where it doesn’t interfere with the driver’s vision.
The penalty for the drivers who are caught is a $20 fine, then $50 for each following offense.
“If we came across a driver who is holding their cell phone in their hands, it is a violation and they’ll be stopped,” Alvarez said.
He noted that although drivers can have many different distractions such as children, pets or food, authorities are more concerned about how much cell phones are used by drivers while on the road.
The law was deemed necessary after a study conducted by the California Office of Traffic Safety determined that one out of eight drivers pay as much attention to their phones as to the road.