New Laws for 2013

By Adrianna Weingold

CREATED Dec. 31, 2012

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  • More than 800 new laws were signed this year. Many take effect January 1st. Video by kmir6.com

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PALM DESERT--Hundreds of new laws take effect January 1. Some laws are aimed at saving lives, others protect job applicants' online privacy. More than 800 new laws were signed by Governor Brown this year.

 
Texting or talking on the phone while driving is illegal, but now thanks to a new law, you can use voice control to text and dial legally while driving.
 
"I think it makes it convenient," Palm Desert resident Jacob Hester said. "I mean, most of the time some people can get some texts or calls that they need to answer while driving."
 
Another traffic and safety related law has to do with child safety seats. You now have to ride in a car seat until you're 8 years old or 4 foot 9 inches.
 
"Kids in car seats in terrible accidents can walk away unscathed, but if they're not, they become flying objects," Attorney at Law, Walter T. Clark said.
 
Adrian Estrella is a father of two, both kids are still in car seats. He agrees the seats save lives, but he's unsure an age limit will make them even safer.
 
"I think weight and size is probably better than the actual age," father of two, Adrian Estrella said.
 
Ever had your picture taken at a red light camera? Well, now it's illegal to block your license plate. Also, you no longer have to say if you know who was actually driving the car when the picture was taken.
 
"Now there's a new category of 'none of the above' so people don't feel obliged to become an incriminating witness against their friend or relative," Clark said.
 
Attorney Walter Clark also says if you're caught driving under the influence 3 times your license can now be suspended for up to 10 years.
 
"It may have some effect on some of those people but we find that those people who drive with a 2.0 or higher and who have had prior DUI's, they drive without a license anyway. They're just dangerous," Clark said. 
 
While you're on the road, watch out for driverless cars. In 2013, they'll be allowed on public roads, but just for testing purposes. Also, someone must be sitting in the driver's seat just in case there's a glitch.
 
When it comes to your online privacy, don't worry about your boss looking around on your facebook page. Employers are now prohibited from obtaining usernames and passwords from employees' social media accounts. Click here for a full list of new California laws.
 
--Adrianna Weingold
aweingold@kmir6.com