Look Officer, No Hands!

On a recent drive to work, I found myself the epitome of every annoying driver on the road. I was yakking away on my cell phone, catching up on last night’s gossip, while switching back and forth between bites of my hot pocket and sips of my Starbucks mocha, even taking time to brush the crumbs off my lap. It was when I glanced down and realized that for a brief second neither of my hands was touching the steering wheel when I realized…I had reached an all-time irresponsible low.

The alarming reality of this scenario is that it mimics many other drivers on freeways and streets all over California. Cell phone use is the No. 1 cause of accidents caused by distracted drivers. But are you really that surprised?

That is precisely why every Californian should be praising the lawmakers for the recently-signed bill, SB1613, prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving unless they are used with a hands free headset or a Bluetooth device. Beginning June 1 2008, all drivers in violation of this law are subject to a $20 fine for a first-time offense and $50 fine thereafter.

But many are scratching their heads and wondering why it took so damn long to enact the law in the first place! The issue has been inching its way to the governor’s desk for the past few years and is long overdue. Countless unnecessary fender-benders and even fatalities due to careless motorists could have been avoided if the ban had been put into action earlier.

There is minor opposition to the passing of the bill…but of course. There will always be a few Debbie Downers trying to bring down something that benefits so many. However, it’s hard to understand why anyone would argue against a law that will potentially save lives and save many drivers from headaches resulting from accidents. Maybe those voicing out against the bill are the chronic cell-phone users that the law is targeting.

There are also a large amount of cell phone users whining that they are practically being forced to go out and purchase a new accessory. But these people will probably be thanking the same lawmakers they are cursing when traffic flows just a little more smoothly on their 5 o’clock commutes. While drivers can still yak all they want, at least they will no longer be performing a juggling act between their oversized Blackberries and adjusting their AC and radio at the same time.

Some cell phone companies, namely Sprint, are worried that cell phone sales might suffer but even more see this as an opportunity to pump up car accessory sales and fully plan on taking advantage. Most people in this state can barely survive without their cell phones and will hardly get rid of their beloved technology. This means that most cell phone service providers and retail centers will have to stock up on handsets to prepare for the rush.

While this is definitely a step in the right direction, more can definitely be done. Holding a cell phone is not the only thing causing accidents.

If lawmakers wanted to take things further and get really serious about making roadways safe they should pass a law enforcing a ban on makeup application, text messaging, and cheeseburger eating among about a billion other things. And nothing is more frustrating than having to honk at the frazzled mom in front of you because she’s too busy screaming at her bratty kids to notice the light turned green.

However, until Californians are all ordered to become bicyclists or pedestrians, this is definitely one thing the state has done right.