Senate Bill 28 Hands-Free Law

Senate Bill 28 would raise the penalty for using a handheld phone or texting while driving for a first offense to $309 from $189. A second violation would add a point to a person's driving record. That would potentially add up to a $100 a year or more to violators' insurance premiums unless the person attended traffic school. The state Office of Traffic Safety and AAA estimate that as many as 40 percent of drivers with cellphones ignore the hands free requirement. In April police across the state issued approximately 60,000 tickets. The California Highway patrol has issued 100,000 tickets through July. If you are arrested for a traffic related crime, contact Christine McGuire, the Santa Cruz, San Jose, Monterey counties criminal defense attorney.