California drivers will soon be able to text while driving, as long as they use a device that is both hands-free and voice-activated.
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Assembly Bill 1536 into law, allowing drivers to use phone or car programs to send and receive text messages audibly. The law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2013.
The bill passed through the State Senate unanimously, according to the Legislative Counsel of California’s website. Only three of the 72 State Assembly members opposed the bill.
“We will support and enforce [the law],” Cal State Long Beach University Police Captain Scott Brown said. “We want to stress that paying attention to the road [while texting hands-free] is of utmost importance.”
It remains unclear whether programs like Apple’s voice recognition program, Siri, fit into the new law. According to Apple’s website, users of Siri must first tap the microphone icon on their iPhones’ screens to dictate a text.
“I don’t really understand what [Siri’s] purpose is, to be honest,” Anthony Vander-Schaff, a senior psychology major, said. “I haven’t used it to text while driving. I try not to do that, anyway.”
AB 1536 clearly states however, that drivers must use devices that are “hands-free,” leaving Siri’s fate uncertain. Many other programs’ fates are uncertain as well.
Car programs, such as Ford’s SYNC, allow drivers to talk on the phone or text by pressing a button on the steering wheel of equipped cars. Because SYNC’s use does not require the physical touching of a phone to text or call, it is legal to use under state law.
“I think that listening to a text … would be the same as listening to a call,” Joey Simas, a junior chemical engineering major, said. “I don’t think it would be a problem because your eyes would still be on the road.”
The penalty for a violation of the law is a $20 fine for the first offense. Each offense after the first warrants a fine of $50.
“Our only concern is if texting diverts a driver’s attention away from driving,” Scott Brown said. “People must use these devices logically.”