Our Voice: A few days, then put the phone away

Washington state drivers who find a buzzing cellphone too hard to resist had better learn in the next few days how to ignore it.

After Saturday, just holding a cellphone in your hand while stopped at a red light is illegal.

The state’s new, tough distracted driving law takes effect Sunday. Legislators had planned to give citizens until 2019 to change their bad habits, but Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed that particular section of the bill when he signed it in May.

During the signing ceremony, he said, “We can’t wait that long.”

His reasoning makes sense. Last fall, the National Safety Council reported that in 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in auto accidents involving distracted drivers — and texting and driving was the primary contributor.

If we want to save lives by toughening the state’s distracted driving law, we should start trying to save them as soon as possible.

The new measure will fine people $136 the first time they are caught breaking the law, and $235 for a second offense. In addition, the first ticket can be reported to insurance companies, which could lead to higher rates like other traffic violations.

The state’s Traffic Safety Commission is recommending officers issue warnings for the first six months after the law goes into effect, but ultimately it will be up to the individual officer on how to handle it, according to The News Tribune of Tacoma.

Using a cellphone to contact emergency services is an exception, and drivers are allowed to use cellphones if they pull off and park out of the flow of traffic.

Bluetooth and devices mounted on dashboards that can be activated and deactivated with “the minimal use of a finger” are legal. Drivers of authorized emergency vehicles also can use electronic devices.

However, reading a text, checking Facebook or just holding an electronic device while driving or stopped in traffic are reasons to get a ticket — and that includes using any electronic device, not just cellphones.

Many people understand the danger of texting and driving, but believe it is safe to check a text while waiting for a light to change. But the new law says otherwise.

A study by the AAA found it can take drivers up to 27 seconds to refocus on the road after they look at a cellphone. The new research calls this phenomenon “inattention blindness,” which might explain the new law’s low tolerance.

If you are among the 71 percent of drivers in this state who know it’s unwise to use a cellphone and drive but do it anyway, we suggest turning the phone off before you set out on the road.

That way you won’t hear it if someone tries to contact you, and it will be easier to keep your eyes solely on the road.

Because now, if you’re caught even glancing at a phone in your hand, it’s going to cost you.

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Our Voice: A few days, then put the phone away."