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A California appeals court has ruled that holding a phone to view maps while driving violates the state’s distracted driving law – even if you’re just checking directions. The decision reinforces that any handheld phone use behind the wheel is considered a violation, including map use.
Why this matters…
According to Zutobi’s 2025 Distracted Driving Report:
- In 2023, 357 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver in California.
- That’s 1.27 deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers.
- Distracted driving accounted for 8.8% of all fatal crashes in the state.
Zutobi’s co-founder Lucas Waldenback offered this commentary:
“This ruling sends a strong and much-needed message. Even when drivers think they’re just glancing at a map, the risk is enormous. A moment of distraction can be fatal. Your eyes are off the road for an average of 5 seconds when interacting with a phone – at 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field blind.
It’s essential to set your GPS or route before you start driving, or pull over safely if you need to make adjustments. The data shows how devastating distracted driving continues to be – and small changes in behavior can save lives.”
What is distracted driving?
Distracted driving occurs when the operator of the vehicle is trying to do something else besides drive. Since the driver’s attention is divided, distracted driving will drastically boost the chance of a car accident or fatal crash.
The most common driver distractions include other passengers in the vehicle, using a cell phone, adjusting audio or climate controls, eating or drinking, smoking, and daydreaming.
Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
Recent surveys have identified the most common distracted driving behaviors:
- Talked to other passengers: 82%
- Adjusted the car radio: 68%
- Ate or drank: 48%
- Interacted with kids in the back: 42%
- Made or accepted phone calls: 38%
- Used a navigational system: 36%
- Read email or text messages: 12%
- Sent text messages or email: 9%
- Took pictures with phones: 5%
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