The new Phony Cell Phone Law

Today was the day the new "hands-free" law went into effect and drivers can now be fined $124 for driving while holding a cell phone to their ear. One of my friends received one such ticket this afternoon.

And yes, you read this right: ..."to their ear".

Drivers can simply switch the phone to speaker and hold it up to their mouths while speaking. How hand-free is that?

Read the information at this site: http://handsfreeinfo.com/washington-state-cell-phone-laws-legislation

Note that the site is called "handsfreeinfo"

Current restrictions:
Drivers are prohibited from holding cell phones and other wireless communications devices to their ears.

Drivers are prohibited from text messaging.

I completely understand the not-texting provision, but the danger in texting isn't that your hands are not free, but that the driver's eyes are diverted from the road. The same thing is true for dialing a phone call, but apparently that's okay. Driver can still make calls while driving, and answer calls while driving, as long as they don't hold the phone to their ear. That doesn't make sense to me.

Sandy Nelson
Realtor for Olympia Area Real Estate
www.sandynelsonrealestate.com