LA Times: Gov. to Sign Hang-Up-and-Drive Bill
Legislation banning the use of hand-held cellphones while driving goes into effect in 2008
California is home to 33 million people — over 1/10th of the US population. And take it from me, that 1/10th doesn’t know how to drive to save their lives. Or more acurately, they drive like they’re trying to save their lives from some invisable highway monster and have no regard for those on the road with them! Not a day goes by that I don’t get cut off while driving on the freeway, or someone runs a red light, or whatever. And I won’t pretend to be a perfect driver here, as you have to do what it takes to not get killed getting home from work. She had a little trouble at first, but my little Scion is well acustomed to cruising at 85 on the trek home and I still have busted-ass 1989 Toyota Corollas leaving me in their dust.
With that said, I’m all in favor of banning cell phone use while driving. It’s tough enough just focusing on the madness of navigating the 805 when it turns into the San Diego Grand Prix without the stress of hearing about how your dog has worms, your kid’s in jail, and your wife’s screaming at you to go to the store on the way home to pick up a gallon-tub of low fat ice cream. (That’s not an example from my own life, BTW.) I try not to answer my phone when I’m driving since I find holding a phone and driving a stick shift are a bad combination, and I can never hear it ring over the boom of my modest car stereo anyways. I know you can’t exactly ban every distracting activity that can happen while you’re driving, but if it saves even one life then I’m all for it.