Distracted driving is currently one of the biggest concerns throughout the traffic safety community.
More traffic collisions are the result of inattention due to texting or cell phone use. More restrictive, cell phone-related distracted driving laws are likely just around the corner.
Have you ever completed a cell phone call while driving and realized you don’t recall anything about the last mile you traveled? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.
Ten years ago, distracted driving may have consisted of searching for your favorite Van Halen CD, putting on make-up, or eating.
When we talk about distracted driving today it usually pertains to the use of cell phones or texting while driving. A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) indicated drivers using hand-held devices are four times more likely to be involved in crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
While on duty, I observe distracted drivers all the time.
I recently observed a woman pass me on the freeway as she was steering her vehicle with her left foot — I’m not kidding! — texting with her left hand, and using her right hand to deal with her two young children in the back seat. She was cited for Negligent Driving. Her response: “I’m good at multi-tasking.”
In 2007, the Washington state Legislature passed two “wireless communication device” driving laws.
The first — the hands-free law — prohibits the use of a wireless device, such as a cell phone, being held to your ear while driving. Drivers are allowed to use cell phones in a “hands-free mode” such as with a speaker phone, headset, or earpiece. The second law completely bans sending, reading, or writing text messages.
Currently, both of these laws are secondary traffic offenses, meaning a driver must commit another traffic violation to be stopped by law enforcement. There are also exceptions to each law such as dialing 911 for an emergency.
It is widely accepted that seatbelt usage dramatically increased when the state legislature changed seat belt laws from secondary to primary offenses and it appears lawmakers are aware of this. Senate Bill 6345 is currently re-addressing the use of wireless communication devices while driving. House Bill 2635 is doing the same.
On another recent stop for several lane travel violations, I observed the driver using a cell phone in the hands free mode. When I tried to explain that his driving was consistent with a typical drunk driver he interrupted me with, “Officer, I’m on a conference call!”
It is obvious that any cell phone use while driving can be dangerous, yet it has become an accepted practice.
According to NHTSA, using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. Their research showed nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 from crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver.
The evidence is clear.
Driving a motor vehicle while influenced by a distracting cell phone conversation or texting can be dangerous to everyone. Just as we’d suggest not getting behind the wheel while under the influence, it’s equally as important not to drive while using your cell phone or texting. Either can prove costly.
So, pay attention! More restrictive, cell phone related distracted driving laws are likely just around the next corner … and so are we.
Officer Martin Fuller has been with the Redmond Police Department for eight years and has worked specifically in the Traffic Division for the last three. He is trained in Technical Collision Investigation and is an Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor. If you have questions for him to address in future columns, please e-mail trafficguy@redmond.gov.
