You can look at maps on your cellphone in California
As a victim (who later prevailed at trial) of law enforcement over-reach regarding the various Vehicle Code provisions relating to cell phones, it is nice to see some common sense out there (it is rare these days). In People v. Spriggs (Feb. 27, 2014), the Court of Appeal (Fifth Appellate District) held, after weighty deliberation, that a statute about talking on a cell phone really doesn't apply to looking at a map on the phone (seeing as how the "talking" part isn't implicated). Offered for informational purposes and your entertainment only.