Chapter 49: Distracted Driving
Phone Use Laws
Holding a phone while driving is illegal in California. Hands-free use is permitted for licensed adult drivers, though drivers under 18 face a full ban on cell phone use of any kind while driving, hands-free or not.
Beyond Phones
Texting, eating, adjusting a navigation system, or even reaching for something in the back seat are all common, preventable sources of distraction. Any of them takes your eyes, hands, or attention off driving for long enough that a hazard can appear and disappear from your reaction window entirely unnoticed.