Any given day, you can probably spot at least a handful of people talking or texting on their cell phones while driving. And a handful is probably a large understatement. Talking and texting on your cell phone while driving are both illegal in the state of Washington, and can result in a $124 ticket. For good reason, too. In 2011, over 20% of auto collisions in the United States involved the use of cell phones. To put that into perspective, that’s 1.3 million collisions.
That’s why Gig Harbor police have recently putting more time and effort into ticketing those guilty of using their cell phones illegally while driving. The people of Gig Harbor requested that the police department pay closer attention to the dangerous activity. This month, they are cracking down on the problem. One officer gave out 20 tickets in one day, and has given out 69 overall.
Teens aren’t the only ones who are guilty of using their cell phones while driving. Anyone is capable of doing so, and anyone is capable of causing a crash because of it. Even just dialing a phone number or reaching for your phone can cause an accident. It’s best to just leave your cell phone alone completely when driving. Save your life and save yourself the trouble of a ticket.