New state laws keep focus on driving safety with phones
Justin Garrigus
For The Sentinel
The new year has arrived, and with it comes new laws for states all across the country, as 2010 driving laws focus on texting and cell phone usage on the road.
According to new Oregon laws going into effect in 2010, it is now a primary offense to drive while texting or while using a hand held phone, doing so will result in a fine of up to $142. Also it is illegal for those under 18 to use Bluetooth wireless equipment, while it is legal if a driver is older than 18.
The primary enforcement law means that police officers can now pull over a motorist solely for texting and cell phone violations, while in Washington it is still a secondary law.
Washington passed the ban of texting and talking on a hand held phone in 2008, although it is still a secondary offense, which means a motorist can only be ticketed for texting and talking on a phone if pulled over for another reason such as speeding or running a red light. This violation will not go on a driver’s driving record, and employers and insurance companies will receive no information regarding the violation. Washington State is the only state in the country where text messaging is a secondary law, while Oregon, California, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are the five states where it is now a primary law.
The prohibition against operating a moving vehicle while texting or holding a wireless communications device to one’s ear does not apply to:
• A person operating an authorized emergency vehicle, or a tow truck driver responding to a disabled vehicle.
• A person using wireless communications device in hands-free mode.
• A person using the phone to report illegal activity, to summon emergency help, or prevent injury to a person or property.
• A person using a hearing aid.
Tests at the University of Utah have established that driving while using a cell phone is equivalent to a driver who is intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent.
Motorists who talked on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly slower; were nine percent slower to hit the brakes; displayed 24 percent more variation in following distance as their attention switched between driving and conversing; were 19 percent slower to resume normal speed after braking; and with cumulative inattention were overall much more likely to crash. |
