Wife breaks Arnie's cell phone law

Schwarzenegger's wife Maria Shriver apologises after being snapped talking on phone while driving

Schwarzenegger's wife Maria Shriver apologises after being snapped talking on phone while driving

A celebrity gossip web site has caught Maria Shriver a third time apparently violating California's law against using a cell phone while driving.

That prompted Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to write about it on Twitter, where he said "there's going to be swift action."

Shriver said she would donate her favourite old cell phone to a programme that helps domestic violence
shelters.

She added, "That's my version of swift action with a higher purpose."

Web site TMZ posted two photographs and a 17-second video yesterday showing the California First Lady speaking into a cell phone while driving a black SUV.

The site also photographed Shriver allegedly chatting while driving on Sunday and on June 12.

The law

Last year, Schwarzenegger supported and signed into law a ban on using handheld communication devices while driving.

Enforcement of the ban began on July 1, 2008; it carries a $20 (Rs 920) fine for a first violation; $50 (Rs 2,300) for each subsequent offense. A similar law banning texting while driving took effect on January 1 this year.

In the law's first year, the California Highway Patrol issued tickets for about 112,000 cell phone infractions, said Chris Cochran, spokesman for the California Office of Traffic Safety.

Fine amount

Shriver has not been cited, but in Los Angeles County, where Brentwood is located, the Superior Court has set the cost at about $93 (Rs 4,300) for the first ticket and $201 for the next one, meaning Shriver would owe at least $300 in fines and court fees had she been caught by police.

Schwarzenegger sent a Twitter message yesterday to TMZ editor Harvey Levin: "Thanks for bringing her violations to my attention. There's going to be swift action."u00a0