CALIF. WON’T CELL OUT

California’s Senate Transportation Committee rejected a bill on July 10 that would have mandated a Highway Patrol study on the link between cellular phone use and bad driving. The bill, which was authored by Assemblyman George Nakano (D-Torrance), was overridden by an 8-3 vote. Legislators raised concerns over whether the study would turn up any useful information, and whether drivers would not simply lie to officers about their cell phone use when pulled over for an accident or traffic stop. A stricter bill, introduced by Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), is similar to New York State’s recently passed legislation banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. This bill is currently tied up in an Assembly Committee.