No matter what the reason for having your cell phone in your hand while driving, AB 1785 makes it illegal and could cost you a ticket.
California Highway Patrol Officer Rodney Fitzhugh said you need to have your phone mounted in your car while using it. The only time you can use your hands is to swipe once or tap the screen once while it is mounted.
"Starting January 1 if you are operating a motor vehicle and that cell phone is in your hand you are breaking the law," Fitzhugh said.
That includes GPS. If you have a GPS it must be mounted on the far right or left corner of your vehicle. If it is on the passenger side it needs to be in a 7 inch square or the left side in a 5 inch square. It cannot be in the middle on the dash but it can be mounted on the front near the air conditioner.
We spoke to drivers as they were pumping gas at a local station in Sacramento and asked if they will follow the new law.
"Everyone will still be on their phone, still doing what they want to do as long as they don't get caught it don't really matter I guess," driver Jeremy Caldera said.
Fitzhugh said there is zero tolerance with the new law, and the ticket isn't worth it. He said the cost of the ticket is up to the courts and local jurisdictions.