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If you live in California or plan to visit soon, you should be aware of California’s cell phone driving rules. More importantly, breaking these laws entails a big risk and may end in an automobile accident.
But how much is a cell phone ticket in California?
And how much do you need to know about it?
Consider some of these basic points to avoid a traffic ticket for driving with a cell phone.
Handheld cellphones while driving are prohibited in California. If you are under the age of eighteen, you can’t even use a hands-free cellphone while driving unless it’s an emergency. Drivers over the age of eighteen are permitted to use hands-free communication through cell phones such as Bluetooth headsets (as long as one ear is free) and speakerphones on the car.
Texting while driving is also prohibited in California for all drivers. Texting and driving are only permitted for emergency personnel operating authorized emergency vehicles, drivers turning on or off a GPS, and drivers using a vehicle-installed system.
The base fine for cell phone tickets for a first offense is $20 and $50 for subsequent offenses. However, the actual cost can be much higher with additional penalty assessments and fees. As a result, a first-time cell phone ticket fine can exceed $160, and any subsequent infraction may surpass $250, depending on your record of violations over the past 36 months.
To help you keep track of these fines and avoid future infractions, it can be useful to convert any instructional or explanatory videos into text. Using video to text conversion tools makes it easy to review and understand the consequences of violations and how to prevent them.
A single handheld cell phone ticket does not result in a point on your driving record. Remember, if you amass too many points, your insurance prices will rise, and you may lose your driving privileges. Although a handheld cell phone ticket does not get you a point in your driving record, since July 1, 2022, a cell phone ticket in California will result in one point if they occur within 36 month period of time.
The California rule that prohibits all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving does not apply to passengers who are free to use smartphones while traveling in a vehicle. The law applies to everybody driving in California, whether they live there or not.
Handheld cell phones may be used by persons operating approved emergency vehicles and those driving cars on private property to make an emergency call, whether to a law enforcement agency, medical provider, fire department, or other emergency service organization.
Do you have any more questions on the laws and regulations of using a cell phone while driving? Or did you get a traffic ticket and want to solve the matter as soon as possible?
Call Ticket Snipers and let our professional team handle it for you.
