New Law Restricts Cell Use

Chatty drivers will face fines if police are concerned with driver ability.

Shannon Gonzalez

Safety and innocently driving down a 40 mile per hour street, a car suddenly comes across another automobile moving at a sluggish 20 miles per hour.

One is forced to slam on the brakes, nearly colliding with the snail-paced vehicle. The safe driver quickly changes lanes, glancing into the driver-side window of the slow car. What is seen is not a drunk or even sleepy driver, but one who is gabbing on the phone. Millions of drivers are faced with instances like this every day, but some are lucky enough to come out of it with both themselves and their car in tact.

Governor Schwarzenegger decided that something had to be done about the numerous accidents due to the use of cell phones. On Sep. 15, 2006, Schwarzenegger signed a bill stating that the use of cell phones will be illegal as of July 1, 2008.

"Public safety is the governor's number-one priority, and this bill makes the streets and highways of California safer by making sure drivers have both hands available for driving," stated a spokeswoman of Schwarzenegger's.

However, long-distance communication while driving does not have to be cancelled out completely. Hands-free devices are admitted because they still allowing drivers to keep both hands on the wheel. The consequences for breaking this law would not result in a point added to the driver's record, but only a fine. If one is caught breaking this law for the first time, the fine is twenty dollars. Any succeeding offenses will be addressed with a fine of $50.

While many agree with the bill, some citizens argue that cell phones are not the only distractions that drivers are faced with while on the road. Drowsiness, eating, changing the radio/CD player and reading signs or billboards are just some of the many contributing factors that take the motorists' attention off the road.

The hopes for this law are to aid in making the state's roads safe, but the efficiency of the bill is not yet guaranteed.