No matter what new laws are created, drivers in Washington and across the world will continue to risk their safety, and that of others, by looking down at their cellphones while driving.
Countless studies and numerous deaths have made clear the danger of distracted driving, but the enforcement of laws currently on the books is difficult at best. A law enforcement officer can’t always be in the right place at the right time to catch an offender, nor should that level of policing be expected in our society.
Still, a bill that was passed by the House this week would add another layer of enforcement to at the very least deter some from caving in to the urge to text, call or surf the internet while barreling down state roadways.
According to The Associated Press’s summation of Senate Bill 5289, it would “prohibit holding an electronic device — including phones, tablets and other electronic devices — while driving, including while in traffic or waiting for a traffic light to change. However, the measure would allow ‘the minimal use of a finger’ to activate, deactivate or initiate a function of a personal electronic device while driving.”
The first fine for violating the law would be $136, and the second would be $235.
At least eight people are killed every day in the United States in crashes caused by distracted driving, according to national statistics. Another 1,161 people are injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
Though not all of those cases involve a driver looking at a cellphone, we’ve seen our fair share of crashes attributed to electronic devices right here in the greater Lewis County area, including the death of a teenager on state Route 507 last year.
Senate Bill 5289 is headed back to the state Senate to finalize amendments added by the House. We hope lawmakers are able to finish the deal before the session comes to an end.
It will likely not be the last time legislation is needed to counter advances in technology that place a handheld computer in the palm of almost every adult.
Still, it’s important to continue to recognize the dangers of distracted driving with meaningful laws that have the potential to save lives.
As citizens, we can do so by simply following the law and teaching teenagers and other new drivers to do the same.
