Hands on Driving.

California legislation outlawing driving whilst holding a mobile phone went into effect today, as well as prohibiting drivers under the age of 18 from using any mobile phone device while operating a vehicle. The California DMV has a handy FAQ about the new legislation. The new law doesn't prohibit text messaging though, nor other distractions such as shaving or eating. Many have already derided the law as ignoring the real distraction behind mobile phone use in cars - talking on the phone.

A recent article entitled "A meta-analysis of the effects of cell phones on driver performance" examines research and literature about mobile phones and driving to asess their affect on traffic safety. Talking on the phone is only one in a list of many distractions which affect a driver's performance, yet most legislation has targeted mobile phone use exclusively.

Is it a conspiracy to get people to buy new phones with Blue Tooth or a pretext for drivers to be stopped and searched? Hopefully neither.

Proposition 91- What's it all about?

Photo courtesy of Mess of Pottage.

Are you ready for Super Tuesday? Don't forget the state propositions, especially the one about transportation funding- Prop. 91. The official summary from the California Attorney General is:

Increases stability of state funding for highways, streets, and roads and may decrease stability of state funding for public transit. May reduce stability of certain local funds for public transit.

Our friends at the IGS Library provide an even handed look at the proposed legislation. The League of Women Voters also provide a summary of the proposition.

As the IGS Library guide notes:

Proponents of transportation funding protection have declared that the success of Prop. 1A in November, 2006, makes Prop. 91 irrelevant. They urge voters to reject the proposal. There is no official argument for Proposition 1A. However, the Southern California Transit Advocates have come out in favor of the measure. They claim that the legislature still took funds for non-transportation purposes after the passage of Prop. 1A and Prop. 1B, a transportation infrastructure expansion proposal also passed in 2006. The SCTA believes that prop. 91 will close a loophole that the legislature and governor have exploited.

What does it all mean? Well, apparently that Prop. 91 isn't needed any more that Prop 1A is working. The San Francisco Chronicle examines the sordid tale of Prop. 91, trying to flesh out what's going on.

Happy voting!