A California appeals court has ruled that simply holding a cell phone while looking at navigation apps is now illegal. This applies even if drivers aren’t tapping or swiping the screen. The decision makes California’s distracted driving laws much stricter than before. The court in San Jose decided that just holding a powered-on phone while viewing a map counts as “operating” it under California law. This overturns an earlier ruling that required drivers to be actively using or manipulating the phone to break the law. “Allowing a driver to hold a phone and view a mapping application would be contrary … Continue reading California Court: Holding Phone for Navigation Now Illegal, Linked to 148 Distracted Driving Deaths in 2022″