Better hurry up and get that hands-free Bluetooth set up on your BlackBerry or iPhone. Starting July 1 drivers, in California could be looking at a massive $20 fine for driving while chatting. It is worse for youngsters, as drivers under 17 are not allowed any mobile communication device whatsoever, so teenagers you'd better keep it stashed along with the anything else you don't want found by the CHP.

I wish I could get on board with this law, but it's just another ridiculous bit of state bureaucracy and I think it unlikely that the hoards of drivers I see everyday will change their conversational cell phone habits, especially when the penalty is so small. The DMV will not punish drivers by adding points to the license so what's the big deal? Twenty bucks, that is less than parking in SF!

The hands-free distraction argument lacks any concrete evidence that it will limit the number of accidents, as it is the act of having a conversation that is potentially distracting, but in my opinion no less distracting than the multitude of other things in the modern car, including texting which is not specifically mentioned in this new law.

Distracted while driving is a problem that is being attacked nationwide. Lawmakers in 33 states have introduced 127 bills related to driver distraction this year alone, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Utah are among the states with laws requiring hands-free use of cell phones. A Washington state law takes effect at the same time as California's.

Why not also ban radios, iPods, or CD players, even the GPS systems are arguably a distraction. Then there is smoking, even consuming food while driving could distract the driver from the task at hand. How about a ban on flashing neon billboards the size of an apartment? After all these are specifically designed to take the drivers eyes off the road! I won't even touch the subject of skimpy summer dresses!

The laws on the books, in my humble opinion, were already sufficient to cover any infraction involving driver distraction, or a lack of due care and attention while operating a motor vehicle. The following Skyler Stone and Greg Studley video pretty much sums it up. It's hilarious. RIP George Carlin a nice touch he may have used all the seven unspeakable words for this one. Hands-free baby...what a joke.

www.break.com/index/hands-free-safe-drivers.html