Cell phone to be a PRIMARY offense

The Oregonian

The House Transportation Committee will hold a public hearing regarding cell phone use while driving in Oregon to make it a PRIMARY offense and a $90 ticket if an officer SEES you using a cell phone while driving.

Currently, Oregon has a law restricting drivers 18 and younger from driving and using a cell phone and is a secondary offense, meaning that a citation may only be issued for the phone violation if the police stop a driver for another reason.

House Bills 2038 and 2377, both sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Tomei, D-Milwaukie, who is modeling the measures on two laws that went in to effect in California on July 1, Bans the use of a hand held phone while driving and the other bans drivers 18 and younger from using a phone of anykind behind the wheel.

I agree that phone usage while driving should be restricted to a commonsense level. I mean some people can't walk and chew gum at the same time. I use the phone while on the road, however if I am in heavy traffic, I tell the person that I am talking to that I have to either put the phone down for a few minutes or call back. I also use a blue tooth while driving too.

What I disagree with is making the law a PRIMARY OFFENSE like seat belts.

Oregon has a high crime rate, and I feel that the police need to focus on that more then looking for people using cell phones.

Of course, just like the seat belt measure if you recall started out as being a SECONDARY OFFENSE, and later a PRIMARY OFFENSE, where stings were set up to catch people not wearing their belts.

I can just see the roadblocks now and officers checking your call logs looking for violations.