Hang up and drive! Seattle Police, others plan special patrols

| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

“Click It or Ticket” will also be “Hands Off Your Phone, or Else” starting later this month, warns the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, which just announced: “Between May 20 and June 2, motorists in King County can expect to see law enforcement patrolling city and county roads in search of unbuckled drivers and passengers and drivers using their cell phones. Last year, during this same time period, officers on routine and extra patrols statewide issued 3,171 seat belt violations amongst the 11,047 motorists who were stopped. Similarly, last year during this time period, 1,059 cell phone violations were written.” The departments that’ll participate in these patrols include Seattle Police, says WTSC.

onceachef May 13, 2013 (10:15 am)

GOOD! I see people on their phones everywhere while driving …are they living under a rock and don’t know it’s illegal…or just flaunting it?

Homer May 13, 2013 (10:33 am)

Oh man, I think cell phones should be banned from cars, personally. BUT, did the law change? I thought you could only get pulled over for being on a cell phone while driving if it was a secondary offense, such as failing to use your blinker, speeding, etc.

McGruff May 13, 2013 (10:46 am)

Oh man, I can’t begin to tell you how happy this makes me. After the ordinance was passed, people were pretty good for a little while, but once they realized that actually ENFORCING the law was much tougher than passing it, they went right back to ‘biz as usual’.
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Just the other day I was riding my bike on Beach Drive, and passed in front of a woman stopped at a cross-street (I had right of way, and I thought she was waiting for me to pass). Imagine my amazement when she started to roll right into me WHEN I WAS IN FRONT OF HER! I rang my bike bell, and the look on her face was just like one who just snapped out of a trance!
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Yes, she had a cel phone pressed to her ear.
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I wish SPD good luck and good hunting, but the key is to put a really stiff fine (say, $500) on this citation. This may sound draconian, but you must understand that people are rational economic beings (see “Freakonomics” by Levitt & Dubner) people will misbehave when the perceived benefit exceeds risk of dectection and/or penalty. The risk of detection is currently low, and the penalty is low. To compensate for low risk of being caught, you have to make it sting like hell if you DO get nicked. That’s the only way to change people’s behavior.

Susan May 13, 2013 (10:49 am)

It’s about time! I’m pretty good at predicting drivers in front of me who are texting. Although holding a phone to one’s ear is “safer” than texting, people do SUCH stupid things when they’re only half focused on driving. I’m sure that the cops often see it…why don’t they issue citations? If drivers know that they are likely to get pinched, they will think twice before picking up their phone while on the road. Is it that speeding tickets bring in more than hand-on-phone-while-driving? Then raise the fine! They are of equal danger.

Wally May 13, 2013 (11:13 am)

Thank you!!!! Not sure how many times I get nearly run into or have to swerve because some soccer mom needs to check her I Phone on 35th. It can wait!

KBear May 13, 2013 (11:29 am)

Homer, yes, the law changed. Holding a cell phone while driving is now a primary offense, and the police can stop you just for that.

cjboffoli May 13, 2013 (11:35 am)

Very happy to see this as I routinely see so many people out on the roads who are ignoring the law. Apparently, something around 15-20% of traffic accidents in the US are caused by distracted drivers, including those using handheld mobile phones when they should be focused on the road. Not only do these people put everyone else in danger, but they’re also inflating insurances rates for the rest of us too.

jiggers May 13, 2013 (11:44 am)

They have to make super expensive if you are cuaght holding a device and driving at the same time. Something like at least a $1,500 fine. It make people think twice for sure.

Do as you say May 13, 2013 (11:49 am)

Just an observation . . . last Thursday I saw an officer near Alaska and Fauntleroy driving (actually making a turn onto Alaska) while on a cell phone. I wish I was able to get his patrol car number. This law applies to everyone SPD, right?

K'lo May 13, 2013 (11:51 am)

YEAH!!!

Athena May 13, 2013 (12:02 pm)

Not just the “soccer moms” …. young, old, you name it are doing it. Alki is where I see it the most- have been almost hit a million times.. because someone was staring at phone

Azimuth May 13, 2013 (12:04 pm)

I had to stop looking at mine while driving. In the past when I have texted or talked while driving, I noticed I get the same feeling like when day-dreaming while driving; I can’t recall the last however many seconds of travel. This was enough to tell me I had no real notion of what was happening around me. I decided that it’s not important enough to risk a fender-bender or worse, and the text/call can wait a few minutes until I reach somewhere I can stop. I know all other drivers are the same way.

sc May 13, 2013 (12:11 pm)

can we also ticket people driving with a dog on their lap? I would think that is also dangerous and distracting.

A. May 13, 2013 (12:22 pm)

Do as you say,

The law does not actually apply to police officers.

Stephen May 13, 2013 (12:27 pm)

The law excludes patrolmen for phone use in the line of duty, and people making 911 calls…

M May 13, 2013 (12:29 pm)

Great more Big Government. Can’t wait for the new taxes to support it (doubtful the fines will cover it.) Be careful what you wish for.

anti-obstruction May 13, 2013 (12:37 pm)

Glory hallelujah!
The number of clueless, irresponsible, dangerous, arrogant “drivers” in Seattle, who somehow think the law doesn’t apply to them, is outrageous.
Agree, the fine should be HUGE to dissuade the scofflaws!

Mr. Land-line May 13, 2013 (1:16 pm)

Love it. I hope for a trifecta. Speeding, un-buckled, and talking away….Nail ’em.

Rumbles May 13, 2013 (1:17 pm)

But the officers could use their hands free, couldn’t they?

GoGo May 13, 2013 (1:21 pm)

I have noticed a lot of cars slowly crowding the lines between the lanes and sometimes going over them. I think this must be because they are looking at their phones. SO aggrevating!!

Neighbor May 13, 2013 (1:55 pm)

I was rear ended by a parent picking up thier child from Lafayette Elm. He was on the phone with his daughter in the car. This accident has completely changed my life. Multiple surgeries later I live with pain everyday. I now have a new normal because some assh*le couldn’t simply wait five minutes to take a call.

No one has the right to be driving while distracted. No one has the right to take a person’s life away. People who have such little respect for the rest of us should be put in jail.

CJ May 13, 2013 (2:06 pm)

Studies have shown texting or talking on phones while driving is equivalent to drunk driving and hands-free makes no difference. It’s about splitting one’s attention in a way that can’t effectively be done. Speeding is also bad but my experience shows I am much more likely to be put in harm’s way by a cell phone user. Judging by these comments, you, like me, see violators all day every day. For the police it will be like shooting fish in a barrel. I too have seen police using their phones while driving- sends a very bad message.

Mike May 13, 2013 (2:43 pm)

Go get ’em. They threaten all of our lives and livlihoods.

nemobeansmom May 13, 2013 (4:02 pm)

I’m glad to hear this is happening! You can’t count how many times I’ve almost been hit by another driver text/talking. One time this young adult came over into my lane, I could tell it was going to happen cause I could see him texting and when he did I blared my horn at him and he raised his hand to say “sorry” and guess what was in his hand…yep his phone!

G May 13, 2013 (4:46 pm)

Sorry Neighbor, about your accident. I saw a woman blow through a red light right outside Lafayette, during SCHOOL hours. She was on a cell.

Never seen such irresponsible and distracted drivers as I see in Seattle. Most cities have ZERO tolerance for this.

West seattleite May 13, 2013 (6:46 pm)

You can still talk on your phone, you just can’t hold it to your ear

Deblynn May 13, 2013 (7:34 pm)

Does anybody know why between May 20 and June 2 will be the “big” law enforcement time period to catch cell phone users? Why not all the time? And it isn’t just Seattle, our car was totaled from a SUV running a red light in Tacoma while on a cell phone. And the driver decided to not be able to speak English and told police all her passengers needed to go to the hospital! And please let the state patrols drive I-90 from Bellevue to Seattle and see all texters swerving in and out of lanes. So tired of dealing with rude drivers.

Jay May 13, 2013 (7:49 pm)

Whether you’re holding your phone to your ear or holding it in front of you while it’s on speaker phone, you’re still holding your phone! Your hands are not FREE!
I think the police should focus on enforcing laws that when broken, such as talking on the phone/texting/being a distracted driver in general, have the potential to harm others. If someone wants to drive without their seatbelt, let them! They’re only doing themselves harm (unless they’ve got an unbuckled child in the car), not risking hitting a cyclist, pedestrian other innocent victim.
Very glad to hear about this period of enforcement. Hopefully it makes a difference. We complain a lot about police not taking action until someone gets killed but people who drink and drive or text/use their phone while driving don’t stop until they feel the pain either. Let’s make the fine hurt!

M. May 13, 2013 (10:22 pm)

Sadly, many drivers’ already poor driving skills are not helped at all with the cell phone distraction. As mentioned, it seems some flaunt their unlawful cellphone use while driving.
I still hope there will be a stop sign/redlight runners patrol…soon. It appears stopping completely is now the exception.
Get ’em.

Ken May 16, 2013 (1:24 am)

The cell phone law is so universally ignored, it’s amazing. Ticket the offenders… Make some cash for the city coffers and keep us safe by “educating” them financially. Other pet peeve : I drive the West Seattle Bridge at posted speed limits. I often create a log jam of frustrated followers, many of whom zip around me at 60mph, waving middle fingers even. Support safety, police officers, by using more tickets, or up the speed limit (it is too slow in many areas, especially with the recently completed construction)

anonyme May 16, 2013 (6:36 am)

On several occasions lately I’ve witnessed a new cell phone/texting violation. My bus stop is just beyond a school zone. Cars will leave the school zone, still driving at the lower speed. As they pass, I see it’s because their heads are bent over texting – they’re not looking at the road AT ALL. They apparently view the school zone as a ZONE OUT area, with the cars driving themselves.

IMO Seattle needs to get over this PC, wishy-washy culture of non-enforcement. It’s no wonder there is such a prevalent attitude of entitlement here. Why not, when there are so few penalties for openly breaking the law?

JanS May 16, 2013 (7:32 pm)

Ken…it’s not only on the bridge…it’s on Delridge, it’s on Admiral Way, it’s really on 35th SW….I get so frustrated at folks in their cars climbing up my tailpipe when I’m going 5 over the speed limit, and then at the first chance speed around you, only to get in line right in front of you. You can only go as fast as the person in front of you…you don’t get there by magic :D

Sorry, comment time is over.