By Richard Koman for SiliconValleyWatcher

Here's a story that seems important to Silicon Valley: the Assembly is about to pass a bill making it illegal to drive and talk on a cellphone without a headset.

The legislation by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, seeks to impose a fine of $20 for a first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. However, the infraction would not result in adding a point to motorists' driving records.

Data collected by the California Highway Patrol in 2004 show that 818 of the collisions involving distracted drivers were related to using cell phones in the drivers' hands while only 30 were hands-free.

But does anyone in Silicon Valley talk without a headset? Forget about driving, no one even walks without a Borg implant device in their heads, do they? This is strictly aimed at amateurs.

The governor seems unlikely to sign it anyway. He said:

[Schwarzenegger] said that he wasn't sure if legislation was needed to solve the problem. The governor's office said Tuesday that he has not yet taken a position on Simitian's bill.