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| April 05, 2016 San Bernardino County teen drivers are three times as likely to crash if there are three passengers in the car, 12 times more likely when they reach for their phones, and 16 times more likely when they text, according to officials.

Prior to 2010, CHP officers could not even code “distracted driving” as a contributing factor in car crashes. But the lead-up to the hands-free cellphone law opened eyes to the fact that over 400,000 people are injured every year in car crashes caused by distracted drivers. Teens are especially vulnerable: 10 percent of all fatal crashes in this age group are caused by distracted driving.

Bonnye Spray, whose teenage daughter survived one distracted driving crash only to be killed in another one a year later, is one of the leaders for Distracted Driving Awareness Month in California.

California Distracted Driving Laws

While VC 23123 forbids any talking or talking or texting for drivers under 21, hands-free cell phone use is still legal for Fresno County adults, despite mounting evidence that hands-free technology may be more dangerous than hand-held cell phones. Regardless of age, drivers may use any mobile device to surf the web, view an app, and arguably even play games that do not require the sending and receiving of text-based messages.

The cell phone laws have rather small fines, but when considering penalty assessments and other secondary costs, they will cost hundreds of dollars. Moreover, because of California’s insurance laws, even a non-point violation like cell phone use and no seat belt can trigger increased insurance rates.

