Washington State wants Changes to Cellphone laws

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Majority of Washingtonians want changes in cell phone laws

According to PEMCO's 2005 Northwest Insurance Poll, four out of five Washington State drivers believe that talking on cell phones while driving should be legal only with hands-free devices, or made illegal altogether, but changes to state law won't likely happen soon. "People are really tired of getting on the road and seeing people talking on a phone and not watching the road," said Sen. Tracey J. Eide, D-Federal Way. Eide sponsored a bill that would require the use of a hands-free device while driving, but it failed to pass through the state legislature for the fifth year in a row.

Similar bills already have passed in New York, New Jersey and Washington D.C. limiting cell phone usage to hands-free devices while driving. "Although studies on the effectiveness of hands-free cell phones are still inconclusive, most people intuitively understand that hand-held phones are dangerous," said Jon Osterberg, PEMCO Insurance spokesperson. "You need both hands to control a vehicle. How often have you seen someone who's holding a phone to their ear change lanes without signaling?"

Fifty-two percent of Washington state drivers admitted to talking on their cell phones while driving. Of those, nearly three-fourths said they do so because changing situations require them to learn where to drive to next, while 18 percent said they use their cell phones to be productive during wasted drive time.

PEMCO learned that 19 percent -- about one in five -- of Washington drivers "often" or "sometimes" talk on cell phones while driving. The poll also found that the younger the driver, the more likely he or she would use a cell phone while driving, and do so to be productive.

Statewide, males are more likely to use a cell phone while driving as a way to be productive (22 percent) than female drivers (12 percent). Regardless of gender, people in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties are more likely to use a cell phone while driving as a way to be productive (22 percent) than the rest of the state (12 percent).

Informa Research Services Inc. of Seattle conducted the poll. The sample size, 600 respondents, yields an accuracy of +/- 4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. In other words, if this study was conducted 100 times, in 95 instances the data will not vary by more than +/- 4 percent.

[Steve B]

LOL, I live in Seattle, WA. I can tell you for certain that there are people here that cannot multi-task....talking and driving at the same time. I will use my cell phone when I drive. However, for me driving takes priority so a lot of the time I miss some of the person I'm talking says. If I feel that things get to hectic in traffic as it usually does here in Seattle, I always tell the person I will call them back later. It's those idiots who cannot multi-task that ruin it for me and others who can talk and drive.