correction to my last...herbmcsidheFebruary 5 2006, 07:27:44 UTC
Which is what I get for scanning headlines and not getting to the actual story for a bit...
Senate votes to curb drivers' phones
By Karen Johnson Seattle Times staff reporter
OLYMPIA - Drivers would be banned from talking on handheld cellphones under a bill passed Friday in the state Senate.
The measure, which now moves to the House, would permit hands-free devices while driving. Drivers could use a handheld phone only to make an emergency call, for example, to the police.
Drivers wouldn't be pulled over just for talking on a handheld cellphone. But if stopped for another reason, such as speeding, there could be a $101 fine for illegal cellphone use.
As the bill is written now, police would issue only warnings until June.
Opponents argue that drivers are free to discipline their kids, eat fast food or listen to talk radio while they drive, and that talking on the phone is no more distracting.
The bill's primary sponsor, Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, addressed critics when she introduced her bill on the Senate floor, saying handheld cellphones require more attention than a driver can safely give.
"When you're on a cellphone, it is all cognitive; you are paying attention to the individual you are talking to," said Eide, who also compared drivers who use handheld cellphones to drunken drivers.
Democrat Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam contended that the legislation focused too narrowly on one type of driving problem.
"I think that to pick out one particular issue like this, as opposed to focusing on the general driving behavior, is the wrong path to go down," said Hargrove, who voted against the bill.
Another, Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, Thurston County, said he supported the bill based on personal experiences. A Vietnam War veteran, Swecker said he felt safer piloting his low-flying helicopter than he does driving while talking on a cellphone.
Eide has sponsored similar legislation for the past seven years. She said the bill gained support because Verizon, Cingular and Qwest said they don't oppose the bill, largely because it would create a statewide standard. Sprint/Nextel opposes the bill.
Last year, an identical bill passed in the Senate but died in the House Transportation Committee. Chairman of the committee, Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said Eide's bill would get a hearing this session. Although Murray supports the legislation, he said he can't predict what the committee might decide.
"My hope is that we'll be able to get it through the House," he said.
Marty Brown, legislative director for Gov. Christine Gregoire, said the governor is likely to support the bill if it also passes in the House.
If passed, Washington would join Washington, D.C., and states such as Connecticut, New Jersey and New York that already have similar laws
Senate votes to curb drivers' phones
By Karen Johnson
Seattle Times staff reporter
OLYMPIA - Drivers would be banned from talking on handheld cellphones under a bill passed Friday in the state Senate.
The measure, which now moves to the House, would permit hands-free devices while driving. Drivers could use a handheld phone only to make an emergency call, for example, to the police.
Drivers wouldn't be pulled over just for talking on a handheld cellphone. But if stopped for another reason, such as speeding, there could be a $101 fine for illegal cellphone use.
As the bill is written now, police would issue only warnings until June.
Opponents argue that drivers are free to discipline their kids, eat fast food or listen to talk radio while they drive, and that talking on the phone is no more distracting.
The bill's primary sponsor, Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, addressed critics when she introduced her bill on the Senate floor, saying handheld cellphones require more attention than a driver can safely give.
"When you're on a cellphone, it is all cognitive; you are paying attention to the individual you are talking to," said Eide, who also compared drivers who use handheld cellphones to drunken drivers.
Democrat Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam contended that the legislation focused too narrowly on one type of driving problem.
"I think that to pick out one particular issue like this, as opposed to focusing on the general driving behavior, is the wrong path to go down," said Hargrove, who voted against the bill.
Another, Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, Thurston County, said he supported the bill based on personal experiences. A Vietnam War veteran, Swecker said he felt safer piloting his low-flying helicopter than he does driving while talking on a cellphone.
Eide has sponsored similar legislation for the past seven years. She said the bill gained support because Verizon, Cingular and Qwest said they don't oppose the bill, largely because it would create a statewide standard. Sprint/Nextel opposes the bill.
Last year, an identical bill passed in the Senate but died in the House Transportation Committee. Chairman of the committee, Ed Murray, D-Seattle, said Eide's bill would get a hearing this session. Although Murray supports the legislation, he said he can't predict what the committee might decide.
"My hope is that we'll be able to get it through the House," he said.
Marty Brown, legislative director for Gov. Christine Gregoire, said the governor is likely to support the bill if it also passes in the House.
If passed, Washington would join Washington, D.C., and states such as Connecticut, New Jersey and New York that already have similar laws
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