Beginning Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division will conduct an enforcement operation focused on drivers suspected of violating the hands-free cell phone law.
Under current law, drivers are prohibited from holding a phone or electronic communications device while operating a vehicle. This includes talking, texting, or using an app. Using a handheld cell phone while driving is punishable by a fine. Violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a prior conviction for the same offense will result in a point being added to a driver’s record.
“A driver’s focus should be on the road, not their phone,” Traffic Division Commander Joseph Marty said. “That text, phone call, email, or social media post is not worth the risk to yourself and other people on the road.”
Before driving, silence your phone or put it somewhere you can’t reach it. If you have an important phone call or need to program directions, pull over to a safe parking spot.
The Santa Ana Police Department is proud to have received funding for this enforcement operation from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Yet working a cumbersome touchscreen, now, installed in every new vehicle, is totally fine. Cell phone bad, unless it’s integrated into the dashboard (and preferably made by Tesla) then it’s safe. Makes no sense.
You are right, but research and the laws haven’t caught up with those “infotainment” screens yet, but they have with cell phones. Plus, they are all so different, that will make it hard to evaluate, whereas cell phone usage is basically the same no matter what. Having incomplete knowledge of one thing doesn’t negate regulating a similar thing you do have complete knowledge of.