Californians and Washingtonians, Put Down Those Cell Phones

If you live in California or Washington state, you’ve probably already been bombarded with news stories about a law going into effect today banning handheld communication while driving. Basically, you must now talk using hands-free devices, like Bluetooth headsets or speakerphones, when you’re behind the wheel or you’ll face fines from your local constable. 

Cars.com is based in Chicago, where we’ve had a ban on handheld phones for three years now. Roughly 25,000 tickets ranging from $50 to $200 have been issued. That’s versus a few hundred thousand tickets for parking violations. A lawsuit was recently filed calling Chicago’s law intentionally vague, with no postage of signs telling visitors there is such a ban, and asserting that “hands-free” still requires interaction with devices using one’s digits — namely accepting a call, dialing a number, etc. Anecdotally, we still see plenty of people yapping on their handsets. A few weeks ago, three Cars.com staffers witnessed a pedestrian hit in front of our offices by an SUV driver on a handset. 

Studies have shown that just the act of participating in a conversation is as distracting as driving while under the influence. 

We weigh in on the side of moderation mixed with good technology. Many hands-free devices — like Bluetooth headsets — can pick up an incoming call without forcing a driver to reach for a handset. Also, many new cars have voice-activated dialing, like what you get with Ford’s Sync system. 

We wish our friends in California and Washington luck juggling the new law. Let us know if you run into any enforcement of the law.