REGION: Host of new laws greet new year

Several new state statutes target drunken driving

By STAFF REPORT | Monday, December 29, 2008 3:09 PM PST ∞

There probably will be a lot more expressions of OMG (shorthand for Oh, my God) than LOL (laugh out loud) about a new law regarding text messaging that takes effect Jan. 1.

Starting Thursday, all California motorists are banned from text messaging while driving.

The new law makes it illegal for anyone to write, send or read a text message while driving. Before the state Legislature approved the measure, text messaging was illegal only for drivers under age 18.

The new year will bring a host of other new laws, including four that address drunken driving. One prohibits anyone convicted of driving under the influence from driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.01 or above. Anyone with a previous drunken driving conviction who refuses to take a breath test, or has a reading of 0.01 or above, will lose their license on the spot and see their vehicle impounded.

Local courts that convict someone of driving under the influence for the first time and whose blood-alcohol reading is 0.15 or above must now give "heightened consideration" to requiring an ignition interlock. Ignition interlocks test drivers for alcohol consumption and prevent a vehicle from starting if the person has been drinking.

A law tied to ignition interlocks transfers administration of the devices from the courts to the Department of Motor Vehicles. It also authorizes that department to require anyone convicted of driving with a suspended license because of a prior drunken driving conviction to install an ignition interlock.

Rounding out the package of new impaired driving laws is a statute that requires anyone convicted of reckless driving related to alcohol to take part in a licensed DUI program for nine months.

Another new law is designed to provide further protection for highway workers by authorizing a stiffer penalty for anyone who assaults those workers as they carry out their duties.

Turning to motorcycles, a new law changes the definition of those vehicles by deleting weight limitations and allowing fully enclosed, three-wheeled vehicles to use HOV lanes regardless of the number of riders.

People who haul bales of hay or straw are no longer subject to a ticket if individual pieces fall from the load, provided the cargo is tied down according to federal regulations.

Another law addresses portable global positioning systems. Motorists who install the devices on their windshields are required to place them either in a 7-inch square in the lower corner of the passenger side or a 5-inch square in the windshield's lower left corner of the windshield.

Lawmakers also provided a break for veterans with specialized plates recognizing them as Pearl Harbor survivors, Legion of Valor recipients, former American prisoners of war or Medal of Honor recipients. Anyone whose vehicle has one of those plates can park free in any metered space, provided the community with the meters agrees.

Responding to people who call 9-1-1 for non-emergency matters, legislators also approved a new statute that results in a written warning or fine for anyone who knowingly telephones those dispatch centers for any reason other than a true emergency.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.