California Drivin'? Don't Text, Tommy!

In what should be a real, "Duh!" situation, California has joined five other US states that prohibit drivers from driving and texting at the same time. Electronic billboards on the Interstate 5 corridor remind drivers to keep their texting for break times.

In a story appearing in the San Franciso Chronicle, "Texting while driving is so obviously unsafe that it's hard to imagine that anyone would attempt it," said Sen. Joe Simitian, the Palo Alto Democrat who was the author of the cell phone and text-messaging bills. "But everyday observation as well as statistical information from around the state and nation suggest otherwise."

Statistical information? Two different surveys revealed some scary ones. An insurance company poll revealed that some 19% respondents confessed to texting while driving; another poll showed over three-fourths of their respondents had sometime texted while driving. How can you text and drive? Use your knees to maintain the steering wheel, and hope nothing happens while your face is pointed at the display.

The results are carnage on a grand scale. Five teenage girls were killed in 2007 when the driver of their car smashed into a truck while texting. And need we mention the California metro train accident that took 25 lives whilst the train's engineer was keying text messages?

The California law's teeth aren't large: Senator Simitian figures first-time offenders will be out around $100. Other states where you can get a ticket for texting include Washington, Alaska, Louisiana, Minnesota and New Jersey.

photo: tommy and georgie on flickr.com

New California law limits GPS placement on windshield

Watch where you mount your GSP unit in California. It's now illegal to drive in the state with a GPS on most places on the windshield. Realistically, to stay within the law, users have to somehow affix the devices to the dash or use a bean-bag type holder. According to a state law that went into effect Jan. 1, a GPS device can be mounted on the windshield, but only in two places:

Within a "seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield" on the passenger side or within a "five-inch square in the lower corner" on the driver's side. The first position works if a passenger is the navigator. The second position reportedly works well for the driver.

The law reads: “No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied in or upon the vehicle which obstructs or reduces the driver's clear view through the windshield or side windows.” So we also assumed you should remove that fuzzy pair of oversized dice you have hanging from your rear view mirror.

If you happen to get pulled over by a copy and cited for having your GSP in the wrong place (not likely) you will be given a ticket that says you need to change the GPS to a legal position. Once done, you can pay $10 and have the ticket removed from your record.