" Calif bill boosts fines for illegal cell phone use " " Cell phones are causing fewer accidents since California " outlawed the use of handheld devices behind the wheel, but " the senator behind the law says too many people are still " driving distracted. " " A bill by Sen. Joe Simitian would create a bigger deterrent " to keep drivers from texting or using a cell phone without " a handsfree device. " " "While I think compliance is pretty good, there's room to " save even more lives and avoid even more collisions," said " Simitian, D-Palo Alto.
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" A Cellphone Fine, Billed as Small, Is No Longer That " " What started as a quest for safer driving could soon turn " into a new revenue stream worth tens of millions of dollars " to state and local governments. A bill working its way " through Sacramento could sharply increase the penalties for " driving while using a handheld cellphone, fines that some say " are already deceptively higher than had been expected. " " The ban was instituted in July 2008, and six months later, " texting while driving was similarly prohibited. Only hands- " free talking is now allowed. " " Senator Joe Simitian, Democrat of Palo Alto, wrote both bills, " which include modest fines of $20 for a first offense and " $50 for the second. Mr. Simitian said the low penalties made " it possible to get the measures passed. " " "It was easier than it would have been had the fines been " higher," he said. " " Easy? Even with the low fines, it took six years. " " But as those who stood before Judge Susan J. Greenberg in the " San Mateo County courthouse one day last week learned, the " fine was never just $20. Additional assessments on behalf of " courts, cities and counties multiply the costs of traffic " tickets by $26 for every $10 of the base fine. With other " fees, the total swells to $114 to $143 for a first offense. " " The California Highway Patrol issued 137,056 cellphone " citations in 2009. Analysts say counties and municipalities " traditionally issue an equal number, bringing the total to " nearly 275,000 ? a possible $31 million collected.
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