A Quick Review of SB1613 - California Cell Phone Driving Law

By Craig Burgess,

I can see the scene now: cute blonde, quick little car, smartly dressed and chatting on the cell phone. You see it everyday, right? Well, for the time being, yes. But soon that will go the way of 8-track tapes and that blonde will be similar to the homeless guy on the corner - talking to no one in particular - on her hands-free device.

Officially called the California Wireless Telephone Automobile Safety Act of 2006 , California Senate Bill 1613 kicks in July 2008 – not January, as some people believe – and will make it illegal to have a wireless handset pressed to your cheek. Of course, the bill has provisions for emergency service workers and ordinary people contacting 911 and so forth. The penalties will start at $20 for first timers, and jump to $50 for any subsequent infractions. I imagine this will not be frowned upon in the current financial state that California finds itself in.

This is where Bluetooth devices will come to the rescue. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology developed in the 1990’s to accommodate the need for ad-hoc networks and data transfer between devices, like a cell phone and a headset.

You can also use a wired headset, a speakerphone, or a car kit. You just can’t put a phone to your ear while operating a motor vehicle.

So, where did this idea come from that driving is more difficult and hazardous under the influence of a handset conversation? Well, the most often cited study comes from Harvard in 2002, and estimates that 6 percent of U.S. traffic accidents are caused by drivers talking on cell phones, resulting in 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries. Makes you wonder if it will create a whole new lingo, like “Hey, did you hear Jason got a DWT (Driving While Talking?) last night?

The whole idea is that if your brain is elsewhere, so is your presence of mind, which is what you need to react to split-second actions around you. The question seems to be, is 6 percent a high enough number to remove another liberty? This isn’t an editorial, so we’ll leave that to the bloggers, but suffice it to say California has influence over other states, so this isn’t probably the last we’ll hear about hands-free vs. handset arguments.

So, as 2008 comes around, don’t look too hard for people talking to themselves, but as time goes on, you can bet most commuters will move to some type of Bluetooth or other way to avoid getting pulled over for a cell-phone ticket.. Or was that DWT?

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