RICHARD NAVA
News Assistant
Pepperdine students and California residents will soon be forced to put away cell phones while on the road as part of a new law aimed to increase public safety.
According to the California Highway Patrol Web site, cellular phone usage while driving is the No. 1 cause of car accidents among distracted drivers. This statistic was figured in 2001 and was used as a part of the argument against using cell phones in the car.
In July 2008, California will become the fourth state in the country to ban drivers from holding and talking on cell phones while on the road, although hands-free devices will still be permitted. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington D.C. are the only others who have banned cell phone use, but 38 other state legislatures have considered the matter.
The new law will end the five-year campaign of Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian who has proposed the bill six times.
“It is a common-sense measure which will make our roads safer and save lives,” said Simitian to CBS 5 News, based in San Francisco. The senator was backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who signed the bill Friday.
“Public safety is the governor’s No. 1 priority, and this bill will make the streets and highways of California safer by ensuring that drivers have both hands available for driving,” Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Margita Thompson said in a L.A. Times article.
Pepperdine students, however, seem a little less enthusiastic.
“Bad drivers will continue to be bad drivers. Inconveniencing the rest of us isn’t going to help,” said junior Daniele Smythe
Some still believe that safety will not improve with the new law in place. On his Web site, advocate and Internet expert Lauren Weinstein says he thinks the law will make little to no difference.
“It still does not require drivers to use both hands while driving,” Weinstein said on his Web site. “The amount of distraction that will result from people fumbling around with hands-free devices, versus just quickly popping the handsets to their ears, hasn’t been mentioned. Will most cell phone users drive around proactively with bluetooth or other headsets in place when not actively engaged in calls? Probably not.”
Pepperdine sophomore Lydia Supplee said she thinks the new law will benefit the majority of drivers.
“Not being allowed to talk on your cell phone in the car is going to make drivers more aware of their surroundings,” Supplee said. “This way they can pay attention to the road and not the person on the other end of the line.”
Cell phone use is not being banned, however. The new law states, “This bill prohibits a driver from using a wireless phone while operating a vehicle, unless the phone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free operation and is used in that manner.”
Therefore, Californians will not be allowed to hold and talk on their cell phones while driving, but can still talk on their cell phones if they use a headset, ear bud, speakerphone or any technology, which allows both of their hands to remain free for driving.
Those who choose to ignore the law will face a $20 fine for a first offense and a $50 ticket for subsequent offenses. The law also states that drivers who may be in an emergency situation will be exempt.
09-21-2006