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BRIEF: Local cell phone violations total 53WENATCHEE, Jul 02, 2009 (The Wenatchee World - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Fifty-three people driving in the Wenatchee Valley received citations for using cell phones while driving in the past 12 months. But a lot more of us are talking while driving, a police spokeswoman says. "Since cell phone use while driving is a secondary offense, it is hard for us to catch people and cite them," said Sgt. Cherie Smith with the Wenatchee Police Department. "I see many people talking while driving, but they have to do something else wrong to get stopped." A secondary offense means drivers are ticketed only when they are stopped for another violation. Here is the local breakdown for citations: Douglas County, 10; Chelan County, 14; Wenatchee police, 16; and East Wenatchee police, 13. The numbers are from the first full year of the state's ban on using hand-held phones while driving. In the past year 1,600 Washington drivers have received tickets for cell phone use. State Patrol spokeswoman Christina Martin says another 230 have been ticketed for texting while driving. To see more of The Wenatchee World or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wenworld.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Wenatchee World, Wash. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |