OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington State Patrol is supporting a bill to make driving and talking without a "hands-free" device a primary offense.
Currently, the ban is a secondary offense, meaning violators cannot be pulled over unless they commit another offense, such as speeding.
Troopers said the upgrade is needed.
"More and more we see people blatantly talking on the cell phone," said Sgt. Freddy Williams.
A KING 5 News crew recently rode with Sgt. Williams on Interstate 5 near Olympia, and in less than an hour, the trooper spotted 12 drivers violating the law. But since the ban is a secondary offense, only one of the drivers could be stopped. That driver had expired license plate tabs.
Sgt. Williams said history suggests more drivers will obey the law if it is made a primary offense.
In 2002, when the state's mandatory seat belt law became a primary offense, compliance went up 12 percent, according to WSP. The number of fatalities on the state's highways dropped eight percent.
WSP does not think that figure is a coincidence and troopers expect a similar trend if the cell phone ban is made into a primary offense.
"It's going to encourage them (drivers) to do the right thing," said Sgt. Williams.
