1,600 cell phone-driving tickets in first year
July 01, 2009 - 02:35 PM
by Associated Press
by Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — It’s been one year since the law banning the use of hand-held cell phones n Washington took effect.
Since then about 1,600 drivers have received tickets. State Patrol spokeswoman Christina Martin said another 230 were ticketed for texting while driving.
Police told The Seattle Post-Intelligencer they could have written a lot more, but the hands-free law is a secondary offense — meaning drivers are ticketed only when they are stopped for another violation.
Still, the law may be having an effect. In 2006, police reported 1,246 drivers whose cell phone use contributed to a collision, including 27 fatal or serious collisions. Last year, that was down to 827 cases, with 13 fatal or serious.
