Distracted driving law can use a tune-up

It can take a long time for societal norms to change. The waning public tolerance for tobacco smoking and outright condemnation of drunken driving are two examples that quickly come to mind.

The same is true for setting social norms or limits around the use of cellphones in a car, which can be a deadly problem.

Our state had 171 traffic fatalities related to distracted drivers in 2015, according to Washington Traffic Safety Council data cited in a recent Seattle Times report. That marked an increase of more than 30 percent from the 130 deaths in 2014 — and a faster increase than the 9 percent increase seen nationally.

In 2016 distracted driving accounted for close to a third of the state’s more than 550 traffic deaths.

Washington took a pioneering stab at the growing problem of distracted drivers a decade ago by banning text-messaging while driving, a move now made by about 45 other states. A more recent Washington law makes this state one of at least 14 that prohibits holding a cellphone to one’s ear while behind the wheel; that infraction is now a primary offense that lets police stop a motorist for that reason alone.

But as technology has marched on, the ban on texting while driving is an idea one that no longer matches reality on the streets. Some motorists stream video while driving, and built-in computers in cars open a whole new panorama of risky scenarios.

That is why state lawmakers are preparing bills for the legislative session that begins Monday. Republican Sen. Ann Rivers of La Center and Democratic Rep. Jessyn Farrell of Seattle are preparing new bills to clamp down on any hand-held electronics use by drivers, according to the Times. The draft name for their legislation is the Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act.

Rivers would like to raise the fine for illegal cell use to $350 from $124 and require that citations are reported to insurers and courts.

Two years ago Rivers proposed to ban any use of hand-held phones by drivers except in emergencies or for emergency vehicles. She also sought to ban data retrieval on a cell such as email. The bill passed in the Senate but died in the House.

The ideas from Rivers and Farrell are a good starting place for discussion, given that the National Safety Council has noted problems with multitasking itself — even with a hands-free device.

How far our lawmakers want to go — and how far they ought to go based on evidence — may be two different places. But it is time to revisit this issue again with an understanding that incremental change can help us all stick to saner uses of the technology that keeps getting closer to our fingertips.

Traffic safety advocates are ready to push for tighter rules. Their concerns should be heeded.

This story was originally published January 5, 2017 at 9:40 PM with the headline "Distracted driving law can use a tune-up."