News: Changes to California Cell Phone Law
The New California Vehicle Code Section 23123.5
Beginning in 2017, the new law, AB 1785 which will become Section 23123.5 of the Vehicle Code, prohibits drivers from holding and operating cell phones for any reason other than for functions that require only the motion of a single swipe or tap of the driver’s finger, and only if the devices are actually mounted in some type of holder on the vehicle’s windshield or on the dashboard.
Drivers will still be allowed to use their cell phones to make a call so long as it is done in a hands-free mode. However, beginning in 2017, if drivers want to operate their phones while driving and actually touch their phone for any reason, their phones will need to actually be mounted in a holder on the vehicle’s windshield or on the dashboard, and the only actions a driver may make to their phone is a single swipe or tap of the driver’s finger.
