Yesterday in the House Transportation committee, public testimony was heard on the Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act (HB 1371). The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jessyn Farrell, D-Seattle A companion measure in the Senate is sponsored by Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center.
Both legislators teamed up recently to write an op-ed that was published yesterday on the Seattle Times’ website:
Electronics-DUI Act will save lives
Jessyn FarrellAnn Rivers
IN Washington state, texting and driving is against the law. So is holding a cellphone to your ear while driving.
But there’s no law against checking Facebook or sending a Snapchat from behind the wheel, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. How is using an app while driving less dangerous than sending a text or making a phone call?
The answer is, it isn’t. It is just as dangerously distracting, and in some cases even more so.
As technology has advanced, our laws haven’t kept up. While our hands are busy tapping and scrolling on our phones, the hands of law enforcement are tied when it comes to issuing citations for these behaviors.
That’s why, together, we’re aiming to update our state’s distracted driving law to better reflect how people actually use their devices.
Click here to read the full piece on the Seattle Times website.
Click here to watch testimony from Tina Meyer, whose son Cody died from injuries sustained when he was hit by a distracted driver who had been looking at his phone.