Thousands die needlessly each year because people continue to use their cell phones while driving, handheld or hands-free. Join the National Safety Council this April in urging those you care about to:
• Stop using cell phones while driving
• Understand the dangers of the cognitive distraction to the brain
• Inform people who call you while driving that you'd be happy to continue the conversation once they have reached their destination
• Tell others about the dangers of cell phone distracted driving
California Vehicle Code Section 23123(a) V.C. reads: “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving.”
In a recent California Appeals Court case, a conviction was upheld on a motorist who was using his cellular phone’s GPS function while driving. It appears that the basis for the guilty verdict in that case is the fact that drivers who are holding a cell phone are “distracted” when using the telephone, a GPS navigator, a clock, a device used for texting and e-mails, etc. Vehicle Code Section 23123.5 more broadly addresses the use of “electronic wireless communication devices” while driving.
