ORIGINAL: Stealth

Some of the new California state laws, took effect Tuesday, Jan 2, 2008.

- Senate Bill 1542 law was actually was signed into law in 2006. Senate Bill 1542 provides drivers of cars sold or leased after Jan. 1 with a convenient and safe system to obtain a replacement car key if their key is lost, stolen or damaged. The Auto Club sponsored the legislation to help ensure that motorists can replace keys quickly through a licensed, bonded, registered locksmith instead of being forced to wait hours or even days for the manufacturer or a dealer to make a replacement.

- ban on motorists smoking with children under 18 in the car - whether the vehicle is in motion or not.

- loophole cancelled - bicycles must use lights at night even ir riding on sidewalks. Prior, the only stated "riding on streets."

effective on July 1, 2008:
- illegal for any driver to use a handheld phone except during emergencies.
- illegal for a driver under the age of 18 to use a wireless phone - even if it's hands-free - as well as other mobile devices like PDAs, laptops and pagers.

more here:
https://www.cadillacforum.com/m_17482/tm.htm


-- Key Codes. SB 1542 gives motorists a convenient and secure option for
getting replacement keys when theirs have been lost, stolen, or damaged.
Automakers must provide, at any time, the key codes necessary for a
licensed and registered locksmith to make a replacement key for vehicles
sold or leased in California on or after January 1, 2008. Exceptions
include automakers that sell fewer than 2,500 vehicles annually, and
manufacturers that make their own keys -- i.e. BMW and Mercedes-Benz -- who
have until 2013 to comply with the law provided that, in the interim, they
send a replacement key by overnight mail.

-- License Plates. AB 801 makes it illegal to sell or use a product that
obstructs or impairs the recognition of a license plate by an electronic
device operated by police or toll authority, such as a red-light camera.
The fine for obscuring a license plate is about $146, and the fine for
selling such a product is $900.

-- School Zones. AB 321 will now allow local jurisdictions to adopt an
ordinance establishing a speed limit of 15 miles per hour in a school zone.
The 15-mph speed limit must be posted and applies up to 500 feet from the
school. A 25-mph limit will apply at a distance of 500-1,000 feet from the
school.

-- Street Racing. SB 67 reauthorizes a law that lapsed in 2006. It allows
police to impound a vehicle for 30 days when a person is arrested for
street racing, exhibition of speed, or reckless driving.

-- Smoking in Vehicles. SB 7 prohibits anyone from smoking a cigarette, a
cigar, or a pipe in a vehicle, whether in motion or not, in which there is
a minor. The smoker can be fined up to $100. Police can only cite for this
violation in connection with a stop for a suspected violation of another
driving offense.

-- Traffic School. AB 645 prohibits a court from allowing a driver who
commits a two-point violation from attending traffic school. Two-point
violations include drunk driving, hit-and-run, speed contests, evading an
officer, and vehicular manslaughter.

-- Gasoline Dispensing. Concerns about the high cost of gasoline have
prompted scrutiny into whether gasoline loses fuel efficiency when it is
stored, delivered or dispensed at a higher temperature than 60 degrees
Fahrenheit. AB 868 requires the state to conduct a study on the effects of
temperature on fuel deliveries and to report the study findings. When the
study is complete, recommendations will be made to address its findings.