California passed a “hands free” cellular phone law almost two years ago, but it hasn’t gone into effect yet. That’ll change on July 1, a little less than seven weeks from today. Neither my wife nor I have purchased a hands-free headset yet, but it’s probably about time for me to look into it.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has a helpful hands-free FAQ on their web site. High points (IMO):
- Minors are prohibited from using any device, hands-free or not, while driving. (Neither of my children drive yet, but I’m looking forward to pointing this out to them anyway. Insert evil parental laugh here.)
- The law is equally applicable to out-of-state drivers.
- The fines are pretty minor, and no violation “points” will be added to your driving record for an infraction.
I don’t drive much, but I’ve missed several calls while commuting on my bicycle. A hands-free device would have allowed me to hear my phone ringing over the traffic, probably–Watt Avenue can be very noisy! If I’m going to use my phone while riding, I’ll need to find a headset with good noise cancellation to block wind and traffic sounds from the mic.
