State officials are working to get the word out about Washington’s Driving Under the Influence of Electronics Act, which goes into effect Sunday and bans the use of handheld devices while driving, even when stopped in traffic. Fines start at $136 and can go up to $234; violations will be reported to insurance companies, meaning violators could see their rates increase. Other distractions, such as grooming, smoking, eating, drinking, or reading, could result in a $99 ticket. http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article161874198.html
Yeah, I can't imagine wanting to take a road trip up there any time soon. Can't take a drink of water or smoke a cigarette in the privacy of your own vehicle. Fuck off with that WA.
Are swastika flags on the police station flagpoles? Every small town cop will be absolutely brutal now. "Give us that cell phone"
You left off the "if you're pulled over for another offense" portion of that quote. It's important to specify that non-electronics-related "distractions" are only a secondary offense. You can't be pulled over solely for smoking, drinking, or eating behind the wheel. It's still a bunch of crap, but it's slightly less fascist than it could be.
If the officer sees you eating he can pull you over for a number of reasons, following too close, not signaling long enough for a lane change, etc. Doesn't even have to write a ticket for the reason he says he pulled you over for.
Whatever they can do to keep people from using cell phones while driving, I'm all for....I've seen so many careless incidents on the road with cell phone users that I think they need to be fined just like litterbugs....when it cost 500 bucks to get caught littering, people stopped littering for the most part...if you need to call someone, pull off the road I say. I see it everyday....I saw a local bus driver on the cellphone while driving kids to school....not cool. I called the school district and reported it. Last night driving home from Eugene some contractor in a big truck was on his phone and started veering into my lane ...had to honk to wake the fucker up....cell phones have no place in driving...I've yet to see someone eating and threaten my space on the road although I'm sure it's happened....
I leave for work almost exactly the same time every day. When I first moved to Vegas there was a woman I'd see putting her makeup on and eating cereal from a bowl with milk and a spoon while she was driving. It was actually pretty fucking impressive for something so stupid. Edit...I mentioned leaving for work because I'd see her do this repeatedly. She was on the same schedule, not sure why she couldn't get up 20 minutes earlier.
I don't know flatuating can very distracting especially if it turns out to be an Arkansas barking spider.
Maybe she is already leaving 20 minutes earlier (it was supposed to be 20) - don't worry about it. It was just me being a wise-ass.
Eating can be really distracting. I get that. Drinking? Do they really think people are going to pull over to take a sip of water?
A major problem with this is that they can lie about it. It has happened to me numerous times over the years. Just make up some BS reason to pull you over. If we get caught in a lie, it's hammer time though. Big hit on the police departments creditability....
Colorado appeals court rules scent of marijuana not enough to search vehicle A Colorado appeals court ruled Thursday that the possible presence of marijuana in a vehicle, detected by drug-sniffing dogs, does not give police the authority to search the vehicle. “Because Amendment 64 legalized possession for personal use of one ounce or less of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older in Colorado, it is no longer accurate to say, at least as a matter of state law, that an alert by a dog which can detect marijuana — but not specific amounts — can reveal only the presence of ‘contraband,’” he wrote. Dailey added the dog sniffing the vehicle could “infringe upon a legitimate expectation of privacy.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/1...t-marijuana-not-enough-to-search-vehicle.html
I wonder if states that legalize marijuana are going to add piddly BS laws to the books to make up for lost revenues by the police? Just seems funny that Colorado was still using the excuse of smelling pot to search cars when it's legal to smoke it and now Washington says you can't eat, drink or pick a booger while driving (grooming). Can't wait for what Oregon comes up with.