Early problem enforcing state cell phone law
Published 2:09 pm Thursday, July 15, 2010
SEATTLE — Some of the drivers ticketed for talking on a cell phone in the first weeks after a new law took effect June 10 may be off the hook.
KING-TV reported Bremerton, Mountlake Terrace, Monroe and other cities reference the Department of Licensing’s rule book in writing tickets. But the department’s Model Traffic Ordinance was not updated with the current law in time.
Cities that use the Model Traffic Ordinance didn’t have authority to enforce it until the department updated the rule book on July 1. Bremerton has already dismissed 83 tickets.
The problem does not apply to tickets written by the Washington State Patrol or cities such as Seattle and Tacoma that use their own traffic rule books.
