New CA Laws for 2008

It is always frustrating to hear that there are XXXX number of new laws in a given year, or read a newspaper story about it but they only list 5-10 of the new laws and don't reference where to go find out about the rest of them. After all - as the saying goes - ignorance of the law is no excuse.

You also hear rumors about new laws at mid-year (this year - 2007 - it was that you couldn't talk on your cell phone without a hand-free unit -- this is a 2008 law, but the cell companies didn't tell you that when they were selling you that Bluetooth headset...) that really didn't start till the new year.

So I went to the source. For myself really, but might as well post it here for all to see (and me to refer back to!).

Here in CA of course the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) changes in laws seem to have the most affect on folks. The main page for learning about there is at: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/leg/leginfo.htm
Of course - even going to the source can be frustrating. I'm looking at the new vehicle registration laws, and they are just overviews without the real meat!
For example, for disabled parking: "Limits the maximum consecutive number of times a person can renew a temporary disability parking placard." - limits it to what?? That partial information is only so helpful...

Here are a smattering of the new DMV related laws - go to the link above to find them all.
This one is of interest to folks with disabled plates:
Increases fines for second and third violations related to illegal parking in disabled spaces - of course it would also be helpful to know what the new fines are...


OK - Here's some of the scoop on the new cell phone laws related to driving. More details here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/ - Oh, and FYI - these new laws don't take effect till July 1, 2008. I never read that in a newspaper article about these laws!


Are you under 18? Then you can't use a cell phone while driving AT ALL - not even with a hands-free unit. You also can't use a pager, laptop, or text messaging unit. (unless it is an emergency situation)
First offense - $20, second and more - $50.


Over 18? You can use your cell phone, but only with a hand-free unit. Same fines apply.
Remember - this starts on July 1.

FYI - a speaker phone does NOT qualify as a hands-free device.

On the "regular" driving laws side. Most have heard about the smoking in the car with a minor law. This is a $100 (max) fine for smoking in the care when a minor is present. That's the big one. Others can be seen on the link above.

---well, I had good intentions of finishing up this post with more information and links. But it's been sitting here as a draft for weeks. I've gotten too busy. So - oh well. I'm going to call it quits here and just post it!