Thank you for not talking
As of January 1, 2008, drivers caught smoking with kids in the car may be slammed with a $100 fine. This new law (SB 7/Oropeza) affects anyone caught smoking in a vehicle in which there are passengers under the age of 18, and applies even to cars that are not moving. The law is designed to protect minors from adverse health effects of second-hand smoke. Police will not be allowed to pull drivers over just to check for smoke. California is the third state in the nation to ban smoking in vehicles with minors.
Starting July 1, 2008, using a cell phone while driving a car may cost you, too. Two laws, (SB 1613/Simitian) and (SB 33/Simitian) state that minors will not be allowed to use any wireless communication device, including pagers, texting devices, laptops, etc., whether hands-free or not. Drivers 18 or older will be permitted to use cell phones while driving but only if using a hands-free device. Exceptions to both are emergency situations such as calls to police, hospital, fire department or while driving on private property. Offenders can be fined $20 plus fees for first offenses and $50 plus fees for subsequent offenses. The DMV will record the offenses on drivers’ records, but will not assign points. The law applies to drivers only; passengers may talk on whatever device they want.
PG&E offers tips for next storms
Communication: Have a battery-operated radio and fresh batteries ready so you can tune in for updates on storm conditions and local power outages. Have a charged cell phone or hard-wire, single-line telephone on hand. Cordless phones will not work without electricity.
Illumination: When the lights go out, do not light your rooms with candles because of the risk of fire. If you must use candles, use them with extreme care.
Refrigeration: To be prepared in advance for an emergency, fill used liter-size plastic soda bottles with water and keep them in the freezer. During an extended power outage, you can transfer them to the refrigerator to keep it cool and prevent food from spoiling.
Generating power: If you have a generator, call PG&E’s customer service line at 1-800-PGE-5000 to let them know. Make sure your generator is installed safely and properly. If it is not, you risk damaging your property and endangering yourself and PG&E line workers who may be working on power lines some distance from your home. Check PG&E website for more information at www.pge.com/generator.
Basic safety (common sense): If you see a downed power line, assume it is “live” or carrying electric current. Do not touch or try to move it – and keep children and animals away. Immediately report downed power lines and other electric emergencies by calling 911 and PG&E’s customer service line at 1-800-PGE-5000.
One last practical suggestion: If your power goes out, make sure to switch off all electric appliances. Otherwise, when power is restored, several appliances may come back on at once and overload your circuits or hot appliances may come on while you’re away or asleep and pose a fire hazard. Leave a single lamp switched on to alert you when power returns. Then, turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
For more storm-related tips and information, visit www.pge.com. For flooding and weather information, go to http://weather.noaa.gov
If it’s night, you now must use a light
Beginning on New Years Day, all bicyclists in the state must now must have a front light visible from 300 feet and a red reflector in the rear of each pedal visible from 500 feet. Previously, the law only required a light for highway riding during the dark hours. Now, riders caught in the dark on streets, bike paths, or sidewalks without lights can be ticketed and fines can range from $50 to $100, plus fees.
The California Bicycling Coalition, quoting Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department statistics, states that while there has been no specific study of bicycle accident fatalities after dark, statistics do show a sharp increase over fatalities during daylight hours. From 2003 through mid-2006, 2.45 percent of accidents involving bicycles after dark resulted in fatalities, but during the same period, only 0.09 percent of bicycle accidents during daylight hours resulted in fatalities.
Tightened Criminal Penalties initiative enters circulation
Proponents of increased crime penalties received permission last week to begin to collecting petition signatures. The ballot initiative measure would require significant new state spending on various programs to combat crime and gangs, and to operate prison and parole systems. The initiative would substantially increase penalties for several crimes, including violating gang injunctions, using methamphetamine or possessing to sell, or carrying loaded or concealed firearms by certain felons. It would eliminate bail for illegal immigrants charged with violent or gang-related felonies, and it would change evidence rules to allow use of certain hearsay statements as evidence when witnesses are unavailable.
The proponents, George C. Runner, Jr., Gary Ovitt, and Mike Reynolds, must collect 433,971 registered voters by June 2, 2008.
