Well as we know it, California has a law that covers the use of cell phones while driving. It had about as much impact on users habits as the color of the sky does. That’s fine, I get it. We’re each incredibly busy and it is a matter of need to talk on the phone while hurtling down the road at 35 to 70 mph driving one-handed. We’ve all done it I’m sure.
But now there’s a little added pressure to NOT use your cellphone while driving.
The CHP and 225 local police agencies around the state of California are now on alert for drivers using their cellphones. It’s a month-long campaign in the state to bring awareness to ‘Distracted Driving Awareness Month.’
First time offenses for getting caught chatting or texting range from $150 to $200. Your second offense starts at $200 and goes from there. (The real fine starts at $20, but tacking on court fees and taxes and other excuses to pull in cash cranks the final amounts up there.)
Since July of 2008, over 353K drivers have been snagged.
But don’t worry, if you’re on the phone calling police, fire or medical services, you’re exempt.
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Here’s some food for thought… when you’re dialing or texting and you look down for “just a second,” you’re missing anywhere from 37 to 105 feet of distance, depending on your speed. If while you’re mucking with your phone, a pedestrian or car comes out of nowhere, well, sometimes it only takes about a second or two for a car or pedestrian to pull out into the road.
- At 25 mph, you’re moving at 37 feet per second. (FPS)
- At 35 mph, 51 fps.
- At 55 mph, 81 fps.
- At 70 mph, 103 fps.
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Once the month is over, you can decide what you want to do with your cell phone habits. As for me, I’d really hate it if I ended up running into or over someone because I thought I had to make a phone call just that second. Then again, I do use hands-free and speech recognition functions in my phone, so I’m sort of covered. Sort of.
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[The Daily News 4/5/11 edition, Pg A5, The Bay Area, ]
