New Cellphone Law in California
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Thursday prohibiting the use of cellphones, PDAs, laptops and pagers while driving for those under 18, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
In a LA Times report, Teresa Becher, chief of the Golden Gate Division of the California Highway Patrol said motor vehicle accidents were listed as the leading cause of death among 16- to 20-year-olds. "A person's first year of driving is the most dangerous of their life," Becher said.
Fifteen other states are reported as having exsisting laws similar to the one in California.
" I told my daughters: 'I give you the car keys, I give you the cellphone, but if I see you one time using both at the same time, both of them are gone,'" Schwarzenegger said.
Teens cited for violation of the law will face a $20 ticket for the first offense and $50 each time after that. Emergency calls, however, will be exempt from the law.
"It's going to make it harder to pick someone up or make phone calls - like an interview (for a job) or if something happened in your family, " said Allan Quach, a student at Galileo High.
The law goes into effect July 1, 2008.