Washington has been in the forefront of addressing the problem of texting while driving, passing a ban on this practice in 2007 and making the rules stricter in 2010. If a police officer spots someone holding a cell phone and talking while driving, they will be stopped and ticketed.
People often don’t realize how far they can travel in a very short time. A football field is 360 feet long. On the freeway, a car will travel farther than that in the time that it takes to dial a number or read one short text. In that brief period of time, an accident can happen causing serious injury or death.
There are exceptions to the law, following common sense guidelines. Reporting an emergency, of course, is permitted, as is talking in a hands-free mode. Emergency vehicles and tow trucks, etc. are given an exception to this rule. The main thing to remember as a driver is that unless it’s necessary to report an accident or other emergency, don’t touch the cell phone. If someone calls, ignore it until the vehicle has stopped.
Cell phone laws were passed because distracted driving kills and cell phone use is a major distraction. A driver talking on a cell phone is considered to be as impaired as someone with a blood alcohol level of .08. Texting is twice as dangerous as talking. Experts have found that a texting driver’s ability to safely drive is as bad as if the driver had been drinking heavily and had a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit. A driver who is texting only sees half of the warnings of possible danger, such as traffic slowing up ahead. Once the danger has finally been recognized, a texting driver will hit the brakes more slowly than an alert driver.
Talk to an auto accident attorney in Coeur D’Alene, ID if you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a negligent driver. Meet Dusty Deissner, of Deissner Law Office, who has been assisting clients who need help getting through the legal process in Washington and Idaho since 1980. His experience as an auto accident attorney in Coeur D’Alene ID will be dedicated to helping clients get the compensation they are due.
