Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) A driver pulls up to a light as she talks on a cell phone in Everett on Monday. No law currently prohibits talking while driving, but starting July 1, drivers can be fined for talking on a hand-held phone.   ADVERTISEMENT   What you need to know Q. When does the new cell phone law take effect? A. July 1 -- in one week. Q. How does it work? A. It bans drivers from talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving. Violators could face a fine of $124. Infractions won't be reported to a driver's insurer. Q. How will police enforce the law? A. It's called a secondary offense. Police must see the driver committing another offense, such as speeding, before citing a driver for talking on the cell phone. Q. Will there be any grace period after July 1? A. No. Q. Are there any exceptions? A. A driver can use a hand-held cell phone to summon emergency help or report illegal activity. A driver can talk on a cell phone with a hands-free device such as an earpiece, headset or speaker. Q. How about texting? A. Nope. That's been illegal since Jan. 1. Top 10 factors in collisions Top collision factors for accidents as reported by the Washington State Patrol in 2006 and 2007. 1. Exceeding reasonable safe speed: 25,651 collisions (2006) and 26,030 collisions (2007) 2. Failing to yield the right of way: 25,092 and 24,096 3. Other factors (such as hitting a fixed object or animal): 18,786 and 17,694 4. Tailgating: 17,228 and 17,427 5. Inattention: 7,780 and 9,228 6. Alcohol: 7,458 and 7,327 7. Disregard stop and go light: 4,410 and 4,156 8. Improper turn: 3,858 and 3,883 9. Exceeding stated speed limit: 3,473 and 3,431 10. Improper backing: 2,729 and 2,665 In those years, cell phones held by hand ranked 20th in 2006 with 1,244 accidents, and 21st in 2007 with 1,114.   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 Will hanging up help? By Yoshiaki Nohara Herald Writer In just one week, drivers will be breaking the law if they use a hand-held cell phone while traveling down the road, even though they can still eat, change a CD and sip coffee. Everybody seems to agree that driving while talking on a cell phone is a bad combination. People are split on how safe the controversial new law will make the roads. Cassie Kindred, 22, of Everett tries not to fiddle with her cell phone while driving. She said she believes the law is a step in the right direction. "Ideally, everything will be solved by common sense," she said. "But some people don't have it." The law takes effect next Tuesday, July 1. A driver who talks on a hand-held cell phone could face a fine of $124, which will not be reported to the driver's insurer. Violations will be secondary offenses. A law enforcement officer will have to stop a driver for another offense, such as speeding, before trying to enforce the cell phone law. While the law is bringing attention to cell phones, state data shows that drivers need to focus on many other factors to stay safe. Accidents involving cell phones constitute a small portion of all the collisions investigated by the Washington State Patrol statewide. In 2006, there were 1,244 collisions involving hand-held cell phones and 62 involving hands-free devices such as an earpiece and headset, according to the State Patrol. Cell phones were involved in less than 1 percent of all 142,105 collisions; speeding, tailgating and failing to yield the right of way were the reasons cited in almost half of the collisions. The trend stayed the same in 2007. Of all 141,379 collisions, the State Patrol reported only 1,114 involving hand-held cell phones and 71 involving hands-free devices. In both years, cell phones were determined to have played a role in four fatal collisions on the state's freeways. The State Patrol acknowledges that its numbers may be low and don't include many accidents that occur on city streets. The agency collects accident data by interviewing drivers and witnesses. Some drivers may not admit talking on a cell phone, Trooper Keith Leary said, because they don't want to admit they are guilty. "It will be interesting to see if the number (of collisions involving cell phones) will decrease," he said. Lynnwood police Sgt. David Harris said it's easy to see distracted drivers chatting away on cell phones while speeding, weaving or turning without a signal. Cell phones cause serious safety problems in urban areas such as Lynnwood, where drivers face many intersections and signals, Harris said. "The biggest issue we have is inattention," he said. Under the new law, drivers will still be able to talk on cell phones if they use hands-free devices such as earpieces or headsets. Using a hands-free device is safer than hand-held cell phones, Harris said. Still, drivers could be distracted with a normal conversation. The looming law seems to be making people buy hands-free devices. "There's definitely an uptick in sales," said Georgia Taylor, a spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless. Hands-free devices range in price from $19 to $199 and come in different types, Taylor said. Many drivers are choosing wireless headsets that require the driver only to tap the device once to answer and once to end phone calls Nancy Little, 51, of Lynnwood, drives a Chrysler 300 with a speaker system connected to her cell phone. All she needs to do is push a button to activate the system and talk hands-free. Little said the new law is appropriate. "(A cell phone) does distract you," Little said. "I'm a nurse. I've seen people getting hurt for using cell phones." Some are skeptical of the effectiveness of the law. "I don't think we are going to see a huge change," said Dave Overstreet, public affairs director for AAA Washington. Driving and cell phones make a bad combination, Overstreet said. A study prepared by researchers from the University of Utah found that the impairment associated with a driver talking on a cell phone can be as bad as that with a drunken driver. The study also said that the level of impairment was about the same between hand-held cell phones and hands-free ones. The study collected data from 40 people who drove a driving simulator four times: once with no distraction, another time using a hand-held cell phone, one time using a hands-free cell phone and once with a 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level after drinking vodka and orange juice. Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett, said the new law will send a message that lawmakers care about safety. Berkey, who sits on the Senate Transportation Committee, was one of the sponsors of the new legislation. "I think it's timely," Berkey said. "We tried a couple of times to make it through." Another distraction, texting from cell phones while driving, became illegal on Jan. 1 as part of her legislation. Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, doesn't believe the cell phone law is going to solve much. It's difficult to legislate good behavior, she said. "How much is enough?" Bailey said. "You can certainly send a message, but are we sending a message about eating in a car?" Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. From behind bars, pal tells Colton Harris-Moore to keep running 2. A student by day, he's homeless by night 3. Colton Harris-Moore’s mother says he’s not out in the cold 4. Vigil at Mariner High School honors two crash victims 5. Attorney’s daughter: Mom had to have deal with Tiger Woods 6. Sen. Haugen’s husband sued by her former aide 7. Korean Air to buy Boeing 747-8 passenger planes 8. Fund set up to benefit children of couple killed in crash 9. Everett approves a tribute to key figure in its history 10. Snohomish County home sales up; prices fall 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Wildcats fall to familar foe in semis • ‘Nutcracker' times three • Road warrior • Mavericks reloading • Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Cities prepare for winter blast repeat • Wolfpack duo takes last shot at state tourney • This Weekend in Your Town • Tips for the stormy season • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million