Good Lawyers in Injury Divorce DUI

Studies show that California motorists have been cutting down on using handheld cell phones since the new law banning the use of handheld phones, came into force in July. According to a survey of motorists by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the use of handheld cell phones has dropped perceptibly since the law came into force.

The survey questioned motorists at 3 different time periods - before the law came into force, in August, and in October of 2008. The survey found that before the law came into force in July, 9.3% of motorists were using handheld cell phones. When surveyed again in August, motorist use of cell phones had dropped to 3.3%. When the motorists were questioned again in October, the number of drivers still holding on to their handheld cell phones stood at 3.4%. Overall, the study revealed a reduction of 64% in the number of motorists using handheld cell phones from the days before the law came into force. This shows that the anti handheld cell phone law has been successful in bringing down the number of motorists using handheld devices.

What’s even more impressive is that the 64% drop in cell phone use is greater than the reduction in other states. In Washington D.C. and New York, handheld cell phone use dropped by 50% in the first few months after the law came into force. The survey by the Auto Club examined not only talking on the cell phone, but also text messaging as well as use of hands free cell phones. Before the law came into force in July, close to 5% of motorists admitted to using some kind of electronic device behind the wheel. Those numbers dropped from 3.7% in August, to less than 3.2% in October. What this reveals is that the hands free cell phone law which was meant to impact the use of handheld cell phones only, has had a ripple effect of reducing overall use of cell phones and other electronic devices.

The passing of the cell phone law has also coincided with a massive awareness program in the state media, relating to the perils of using cell phones behind the wheel. As Orange County personal injury lawyers, we have highlighted this issue numerous times on our blog. These efforts seem to have stuck a chord with the public and awareness of the danger of cell phones while driving seems to be greater than before. In California, the law has been enforced stringently with the California Highway Patrol handing out more than 50,000 citations for cell phone law violations by December 2008.

Early in January this year the National Safety Council called for a nationwide ban of cell phone use behind the wheel. Cell phone use while driving, even with hands free devices, has been found to cause the same kind of distraction, impaired judgment and reduced ability to drive as driving under the influence of alcohol. California was one of the first states to recognize the growing number of accidents related to cell phone use, and enact strong legislation to clamp down on cell phone use. Other states have quickly followed, and resistance to these cell phone laws have been falling quickly across the country.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of car accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.