Call Us Today 415.258.9912

New California Law Gets Mixed Response

New California Law Gets Mixed Response

Governor Jerry Brown signed an amendment to California’s vehicle code which became effective on January 8th.  The amendment to Assembly Bill 1536 now allows drivers in California to text while driving, as long as they don’t use their hands.  It is an attempt to manage the emerging smart phone technology while still maintaining public safety, just as California did when they allowed people to make phone calls via Bluetooth technology.

This has become a hot button issue because police officers and safety groups worry about distracted driving.  The National Safety Council has already asked for a repeal of the amendment.  At issue is that although hands are free to grasp the wheel, this measure will still lead to distracted driving.

The law only allows drivers to touch their phones when they are enabling or disabling the hands free texting features on their phones.  Vallejo police Lt. Lee Horton said, “This law does seem to now allow drivers to still be visually and cognitively distracted from the road since they can now activate these hands-free systems, listen to their emails or texts and then respond verbally.  Some folks have trouble concentrating on those things from a desk, much less behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.”

Jeff Miller, former Assemblyman from Corona, who introduced the bill, maintains that the Bill has tried to maintain the safety of roadways.  “The reality is people are going to do these activities in their cars, whether you like it or not, and you can’t legislate human behavior 100 percent.”  The same is true about driving on any street; you can only drive safely and can’t affect much else.  One way to protect your family and yourself is to have the right kinds of auto insurance.  To check your coverage or get a quote, contact an experienced insurance agent at Wise Insurance Agency in Marin County.

No Comments Yet You can be the first to comment!

Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.