Be careful Santa Clarita, and the rest of California

New laws for the CHP to enforce starting July 1, 2008

Drivers 18 and over

• Drivers 18 and over will be allowed to use hands-free device to talk on their wireless telephones while driving.
• The new law does not prohibit dialing, but drivers are strongly urged not to dial while driving.
• It is legal to use a Blue Tooth or other earpiece as long as only one ear is uncovered.
• Speaker phone is acceptable to use while driving. The law does not specifically prohibit it's use, but an officer can pull over the vehicle and issue a citation to driver of any age if, in the officer's opinion, the driver was distracted and not operating the vehicle safely. Text paging while driving is unsafe at any speed and is strongly discouraged.

Drivers Under 18

• No drivers under the age of 18 may use a wireless telephone, pager, laptop or any other electronic communication or mobile services device to speak or text while driving in any manner, even hands free.
• The exception is in emergency situations to call police, fire or medical authorities.
• Statistics show that teen drivers are more likely than older drivers to be involved in crashes because they lack driving experience and tend to take greater risks. Teen drivers are vulnerable to driving distractions such as talking with passengers, eating, drinking or texting on the wireless phones, which increase the chance of getting involved in severe crashes.
• Parents cannot grant permission to allow the use of wireless telephones while driving.
• For drivers under the age of 18, this is considered a SECONDARY violation meaning that a law enforcement officer may cite you for using a hands-free wireless phone if you were pulled over for another violation. However, the prohibition against using a handheld wireless telephone while driving is a PRIMARY violation for which a law enforcement officer can pull you over for.

Fines

• First offense: $20.00
• Second offense: $50.00