The Lake Forest Park Police Department has a message for drivers: "Put the Phone Down!!!”
The department did a three-hour distracted driver emphasis on Thursday and wrote more than 60 tickets for cell phone and other violations.
Lake Forest Park PD said in a Facebook post they had their reader boards up for two days before Thursday’s distracted driving emphasis. Around half of the drivers who received a ticket told police they saw the warning signs but were still holding their cell phones.
The grace period for Washington’s “Driving Under the Influence of Electronics" law, also known as E-DUI, ended on January 1, 2018. Drivers may not hold cell phones or watch videos while they are driving, stopped in traffic, or at a stop light. That includes tablets, laptops, games, or any hand-held electronic devices.
The first offense will cost drivers $136. A second ticket will cost $234. A driver’s insurance company will also be notified of a cell phone ticket.
“You can expect more emphasis patrols coming this summer,” the post ended. “This has to stop.”
