IMO, people should stop texting and using a hand-held phone while driving. (before a new string of nanny-state laws are applied)
Texting while driving banned
Sacramento Bee, Thursday, Sep. 25, 2008
Keep those typing fingers on the steering wheel, California. Drivers will be banned from text messaging while operating a motor vehicle starting Jan. 1 under a bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Banning electronic text messaging while driving will keep drivers' hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, making our roadways a safer place for all Californians," he said in a statement.
Drivers caught texting while driving will face fines of about $76 for a first offense and $175 for subsequent offenses, including state and local fees,under Senate Bill 28 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto.
"I know some folks say, 'Do we really need a law, isn't it common sense?' " Simitian said. "Unfortunately, common sense isn't all that common."
In July, California banned drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving, pushing them to use handsfree headsets in the car. That law already banned juvenile drivers from text messaging while driving, but not adults.