California Officially Rules in Phone Use While Driving

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Any phone use that requires you to have your phone in hand while driving is illegal.
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While it has been widely known that driving while using your cell phone is illegal in California, lawmakers made an official ruling regarding just how much phone use is allowed while you are behind the wheel and what, if any, exceptions are allowed. After a case was brought to the state appeals court, a ruling was made that reinterprets the law to be even stricter than some believed it to be.

Essentially, phone use of any kind is considered illegal in California.

Yes, this even includes when a phone is being used for navigation purposes. If the phone is in your hands while driving, you are breaking the law. This is specifically the instance that led to this interpretation.

The decision came after a legal battle involving a driver, Nathaniel Gabriel Porter. Porter was ticketed for using his phone’s map application while driving. Porter argued that he was simply using the phone for navigation purposes, and he contested the ticket. Initially, the Santa Clara County court sided with the officer, but after appealing the decision, the county’s superior court reversed the ticket.

However, the case did not end there.

The California Court of Appeal for the Sixth Appellate District intervened, overruled the county’s decision. They ruled that any instance of holding a phone while driving, even for navigation purposes, was illegal. This ruling set a new precedent and now defines what is considered distracted driving in the state.

The law banning phone use while driving was initially enacted in 2016, aimed to curb distracted driving. At the time, cell phones became a growing concern as smartphones became integral to daily life. It prohibited actions such as texting or holding a phone during a call while driving. However, the new interpretation takes this further, ruling that even using a phone for navigation constitutes a violation of the law.

Legislators felt distracted driving was still occurring too frequently due to loopholes in the law.

With smartphones becoming more powerful and omnipresent, lawmakers argue that drivers are increasingly susceptible to distractions. By tightening the rules surrounding phone use, they hope to encourage safer driving and ensure that drivers keep their focus on the road rather than their devices. California promotes a “Put your phone down, just drive” initiative in their mission to end the distracted driving issue.

Despite the stricter enforcement, there are still some exceptions.

Lawmakers acknowledge that modern drivers heavily rely on their phones for navigation. As a result, phones that are mounted are allowed for navigation use. Drivers may also interact with these mounted devices through simple swipe movements, as long as the phone remains stationary. If a driver needs to hold the phone or make any adjustments that require more than a single swipe, they must pull over and park before doing so. This exception is designed to balance the need for navigation with the goal of reducing distractions. Furthermore, other hands-free options are still allowed such as Apple CarPlay.

The legal precedent set by this court decision marks a pivotal moment in how California addresses distracted driving. As technology continues to evolve, lawmakers emphasize that the law will likely continue to adapt to address emerging distractions, including new features in smartphones and in-car technology.

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