LAKE COUNTY — Traveling saleswoman Lori Rooney won”t be getting a ticket after July 1 ? at least not for using a handheld cell phone. Police can stop drivers as of that date under two new wireless telephone laws signed two years ago.
Senate Bill 1613 requires drivers age 18 or older to use a hands-free device. Senate Bill 33 bans cell phone use ? hands-free or not ? for drivers younger than 18 years old. Drivers of any age may only use a handheld cell phone in emergencies ? to call police, a medical provider, a fire department or other emergency services agencies.
“We”re not pulling anyone over yet,” California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Dye said. He added that there will be no grace period once the law takes effect.
A first violation carries a $20 base fine, and subsequent violations carry $50 fines.
“Each county adds on fees for court costs that can double, sometimes triple the fines,” CHP Spokesman Tom Marshall.
The fines can go as high as $76 for a first-time offense and $190 for subsequent offenses, according to CHP Spokesman Tom Marshall.
US Cellular sales representative Gary Judd said people are gearing up for the change. He said all of the cell phones he sells come with a headset that automatically activates a phone”s voice activation mode, freeing up a driver”s hands for the task of driving.
“The wired headset covers the law, but it”s not the most popular. People don”t like to be connected by the wire ? it hangs them up,” Judd said.
Bluetooth technology ? including wireless earpieces and speaker accessories ? are the most popular hands-free options, according to Judd.
Rooney already depends on Bluetooth technology to help her do her job. She said she spends between two and four hours a day on the road, four days a week. Her cell phone is her primary means of contacting clients.
“The majority of my selling time is on the road,” Rooney said.
Because she spends so much time on the road, Rooney said she”s tried many of the available hands-free options.
“I have a BlueAnt,” Rooney said. The speaker-equipped gadget clips to her car”s visor and answers her cell phone with the touch of a button so she can talk and listen with minimal effort.
But according to Dye, even that isn”t enough to guarantee safe driving.
“The law wants people to get hands-free devices, but they are still diverting their attention, whether the phone is hands-free or they”re holding it,” Dye said.
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