New year, new laws

BURBANK — A host of new laws set to be enacted this year could affect daily routines in the car, on bikes and even at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

For instance, when Senate Bill 1613 goes which into effect on July 1, it will make talking on a cell phone without a hands free device while driving illegal, with exceptions granted for emergencies.

The first ticket will earn violators a fine of at least $20, while subsequent offenses costing $50.

The new law requires motorists to use a hands-free device, such as Bluetooth or wired headsets while driving.

Another law that goes into effect July 1 bars anyone under the age of 18 from talking on or operating a cell phone while driving — with or without a hands-free device.

The bill had a wide range of support, from California parents and the California State PTA, which wrote the bill.

“Year after year, car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death among teenagers,” state PTA officials Joe Simitian and Bonnie Garcia said in a statement. “That’s why we authored Senate Bill 33, which prohibits new drivers under the age of 18 from driving while using a cell phone or pager, or while text messaging.”

Other new laws, such as anti-smoking regulations and new bicycle codes, took effect Tuesday.

Senate Bill 7 bars drivers from smoking inside their car if children younger than 18 are inside, even if the car is parked and on private property.

State Sen. Jenny Oropeza, who represents Long Beach, wrote the law after she was diagnosed with liver cancer in the fall of 2004 and had surgery and chemotherapy.

Another law that took effect New Year’s Day was Assembly Bill 478, which requires bicyclists to equip their bikes with illumination and reflecting devices, whether on a street, a sidewalk or a bike path.

And thanks to Assembly Bill 645, it might be harder for some to get out of traffic violations in California now.

Until now, the law stated that motorists who have been convicted of certain driving violations, including driving under the influence and reckless driving, could have their record expunged by petitioning a court after successful completion of the probation terms.

Last June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 645, which makes it more difficult to clear one’s record. The new law requires those seeking to expunge their records to prove to a judge that the request is, in the words of the bill, “in the interest of justice.”