Wednesday, 29 August 2007 00:51
New Law May Limit Teen Driver Cell Use
Teen driving habits may be changing after the
initial clearance of a bill that would ban teenagers under the age of 18 from
using their cell phones - even with hands-free devices -- while driving. The
bill has now cleared the state legislature. The Bill, Senate Bill 33 bars the use of pagers,
Blackberries, PDAs - any text-messaging devices - including laptop computers
for teen drivers.
There is an exception for emergency purposes. The
Assembly approved the measure 62-5. It heads back to the Senate for a vote on
technical amendments before going to Gov. Schwarzenegger for his signature or
veto. If signed into law, SB 33 written by Palo Alto, Assemblyman Joe Simitian, would
take effect July 1, 2008. That is the same date all California drivers will be required to use
hands-free devices to talk on their cell phones while driving. SB 33 is a
secondary infraction, meaning law enforcement cannot pull over a vehicle unless
the officer sees erratic driving or some other violation. The fine for a first
cell phone use offense would be $20 while subsequent violations would incur a
$50 fine each. The infraction would not show up on one's driving record.
