CA: Keep your hands off the cell phone come July

KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE CELL PHONE COME JULY
Come July 1, drivers in California who make or receive phone calls other than emergencies will be required to have a hands-free way of talking. Motorists who don't can be pulled over and cited, $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent violations. At the same time, a companion law will go into effect that prohibits drivers younger than 18 from using any type of electronic communication device to text or talk - even hands-free ones. However, it's a secondary infraction, which means it can't be the main reason a driver is pulled over.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/23/BUH2VMOHJ.DTL

* Cellphone law may not make roads safer
As California joins five other states in requiring drivers to use hands-free devices when talking on cellphones, an increasing body of research suggests the legislation will accomplish little. The risk doesn't stem from whether one or both hands are on the wheel, the research suggests. It's whether the driver's mind is somewhere else.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-distract25mar25,1,2...
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