It is no secret that distracted driving is dangerous and leads to many accidents across California, as well as the nation. Despite safety measures and new laws, distracted driving remains a prevalent cause of accidents in the United States. Yahoo Finance reports that distracted driving is currently one of the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents in the country.
This article explains what distracted driving is, and what laws exist to combat it.
Defining distracted driving
Distracted driving is a term that describes a multitude of actions people may take while behind the wheel. While most people automatically think of cell phones and distracting technology, FindLaw reports that other common distractions such as applying makeup or even shaving while driving is also considered distracted driving. In a nutshell, anything that takes your attention and eyes away from the road while you are driving falls under this term.
Laws regarding distracted driving?
In 2017, the state of California put laws into place to reduce accidents stemming from distracted driving. Not only do these laws specifically prohibit people from holding electronic devices while driving, but the laws also clarify how people can legally and safely use their phones in their vehicles. Using a phone mount is permissible, as long as it does not obstruct the view of the road or an airbag. While holding a phone directly can earn drivers a ticket, swiping a safely-mounted phone is technically legal. This is only true, however, if a person makes one swipe or touch to complete an action. This means that changing a song by touching the phone is acceptable, but swipe texting while driving is not.