Seeking "a more significant deterrent," California State Sen. Joe Simitian has filed legislation that would more than double fines on the trio of distracted driving laws that he created in recent years. Simitian defended the laws' effectiveness last week -- reacting to a widely publicized study that shows cell phone bans don't work. On Monday, he announced the filing of California Senate Bill 1475. "I've heard repeatedly that the current fines are too modest," Simitian told the Mercury News. "They wouldn't be anymore." The state senator's latest distracted driving legislation … [Read more...]

The state of Washington already said no to text messaging while driving. Now it's shouting. The state Senate voted Feb. 5 to toughen Washington's law against texting and the use of handheld cell phones by targeting violators with primary (full) enforcement. Update: The House agreed with most of the bill, but rejected its call for primary enforcement for adult cell phone violations. The House vote came on March 3. The Senate then rejected those changes on March 6. The House and Senate versions must be reconciled before any legislation goes to the governor. The 2008 bans were limited to … [Read more...]

Bans on handheld cell phone use by drivers aren't cutting into accident rates, according to a study by insurance industry researchers. "This finding doesn't auger well for any safety payoff from all the new laws that ban phone use and texting while driving," the leader of the Highway Loss Data Institute said. Collision claims in Calfornia, Connecticut and the District of Columbia remained about the same after they adopted bans on the use of handheld cell phones (meaning those without hands-free functionality), the group said. New York did show a decrease, but researchers dismissed that … [Read more...]

Oprah wants her viewers to know "how absolutely stupid it is that we continue to text and drive." The TV talk titan devoted Monday's show to distracted driving, with appearances by people who have lost loved ones to someone using a handheld cell phone or text messaging. Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions said the show's effort against distracted driving would be called the "No Phone Zone" campaign. Fans are asked to pledge not to use cell phones while driving. Update: "We need to make our own movement to stop (cell phoning and text messaging while driving)," Winfrey told her audience. "Don't … [Read more...]