San Diego DUI criminal defense attorneys report Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law Wednesday making it illegal to read or send text messages while driving in California, adding to restrictions this year designed to wean drivers from the distractions of hand-held devices. www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net

The bill by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, imposes a $20 fine for a first offense and $50 for repeat offenders using any electronic devices to read or send messages, starting Jan. 1.

"Banning electronic text messaging while driving will keep drivers' hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, making our roadways a safer place for all Californians," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

It follows previous laws written by Simitian to restrict the use of cell phones while driving.

Since July, motorists have been required to use handsfree devices, and drivers under age 18 can't use any electronic devices.

"This is one of those cases, I think, where the world changes and we've got to keep pace with a changing world," Simitian said. "My own view is texting while driving is so obviously unsafe it's hard to believe anyone would try it."

Yet a study by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. last year found nearly 40 percent of drivers age 16 to 30 acknowledged text-messaging while driving.

The California Highway Patrol doesn't keep statistics on crashes related to text messaging.

But CHP spokesman Tom Marshall said officers have issued 19,753 citations to drivers illegally using cell phones since July 1.

And it has cited only 155 16- or 17-year-old drivers for texting or calling behind the wheel, Marshall said, because officers must have probable cause to believe the driver is underage or has committed another offense before stopping the vehicle.

The British Royal Automobile Club Foundation reported on its Web site last week that texting while driving was more distracting than being drunk or high on marijuana.

The study by the private Transport Research Laboratory for the foundation used driving simulators. It found text-messaging significantly slowed reaction time in drivers ages 17-24.

Nationally, California was one of 33 states this year considering bills designed to deter driver distractions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In California, the $20 fine for a first offense could be tripled when local and court fees are included, the CHP's Marshall said.

Also Wednesday, Schwarzenegger signed a law barring companies doing business in Sudan from bidding on state contracts.

Schwarzenegger said in a statement that the bill by Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, sends a message that "California will not underwrite the horrors of murder and genocide in Sudan."

An estimated 400,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced in the African nation, according to the governor's office. Schwarzenegger also signed two bills in 2006 designed to discourage business investments in Sudan.

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