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February 27, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)-- Here’s some good news for the directionally challenged: California’s 5th District Court of Appeal has ruled that it is legal for a driver to check a map application on a cell phone.
The court rejected the state’s argument that any hands-on use of a phone should be illegal, concluding that it would be “absurd” to prohibit merely checking the time or other displays on your phone. So if you’re lost, you can look up directions on your smart phone –but you can’t make a phone call or text, the Court found.
The case involves a Fresno motorist who fought a $165 traffic ticket after he checked his cell phone looking for an alternate route while stuck in a traffic tie-up. A lower court ruled against him, but judges on the Court of Appeals overturned it and found in the motorist’s favor.
The judges reasoned that the law was passed before iphones were invented, back when people used phones mainly for talking or sending text messages.
But before you start mapping your way around a traffic jam the next time you’re stuck in traffic, be aware that this case could still be appealed to the California Supreme Court-- so the verdict is still out on whether using a map app while driving may lead to hefty fines.
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