June 27, 2017
A new law was recently passed in Washington that cites any distraction while driving is dangerous.
The state of Washington is hoping to see safer driving this summer.
The Governor of Washington, Jay Inslee signed the Driving under the Influence of Electronics Act law. It is a new driving statue that touched on distracted driving issues left out by previous laws, that only banned texting and driving. Originally, the law was going to be enforced starting in 2019, but Inslee decided it move the date to July 23 of this summer.
The new law bans the use of all electronics while driving. The exceptions to the law include, dialing 911 for emergencies, GPS with the phone attached to the dashboard, and built in navigation systems.
Police Commander Chris Tennant said, “This is an attempt by the legislature to update the laws to current practice. When (the old law) was put out, it was kind of obsolete and made it very difficult from a law enforcement perspective to enforce because, what if they’re using a different app, other than texting.”
Police officers are now allowed to write secondary traffic citations to drivers who are engaged in miscellaneous distractions.
Tennant also said, “Going to work people are putting their makeup on, brushing their teeth, and if you are a danger, you can be cited for that.”
He also says that residents of Washington can expect to see the police giving out more tickets, instead of warnings, when it comes to distracted driving.
Distracted Driving Across the U.S.
38 states and Washington D.C. ban all use of cell phones by novice drivers, and 20 states, along with D.C.specifically prohibit school bus drivers from using cell phones. 47 states currently prohibit texting while driving.