JASON RANTZ

Rantz: I won’t follow the distracted driving law

Jul 26, 2017, 8:08 AM | Updated: 10:13 am

distracted driving...

(File, AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

(File, AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

I’m not going to follow the distracted driving laws recently signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee who, I must assume, has never actually used a cellphone and instead relies on his staff to dial and text on his behalf. Only someone with a severe misunderstanding of how cellphones work while you’re stuck at a bridge can sign into law such a patently ridiculous bill that treats us all like children.

I will continue to send text messages friends, telling them I’m stuck in traffic and will be late. Perhaps I did this last night on the way to The Paramount Theatre to see the absolutely brilliant “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” while stuck in standstill traffic around Mercer Ave.

Why won’t I change my behavior? Because I won’t buy into this absurd position that sending a quick text while stopped at a light or at a bridge is equivalent to live tweeting your commute while driving 60 mph on I-5.

You see, like you, I’m not an idiot. I don’t need an over-protective, money-grabbing government treating me like a child who can’t use basic common sense to figure out what’s safe or not.

Under the new law, simply holding the phone in your hand while stopped at a light gives law enforcement officers the ability to ticket you, yet if I’m driving on a freeway scarfing down a gluten-free breakfast burrito, I can only be ticketed if the burrito eating is causing me to violate some other traffic law.

Per State Senator Joe Fain:

If a police officer determines that you blew the stop sign because you were distracted by some extraneous behavior (dog in lap, eating, drinking, etc.) then she could cite you an additional fine for being distracted. If downing that big gulp didn’t contribute to your speeding, swerving, running a stop sign, etc., then you won’t be cited for the additional “dangerously distracted” citation. You’ll just get a ticket for the primary offense.

Why isn’t the same standard being applied to cellphone use? If I use a cellphone while driving safely, what harm is there? No one is answering this question outside of some out-of-touch politician crying “Put your phones down, kids!”

This is overreach at its worst and it’s based on a lie that conflates dangerous behavior with clearly safe behavior. I’m not changing my behavior and you can ticket me for it (to be fair, I don’t drive all that often. When I do, I’ll text when it’s safe to do so).

In a state where government officials advocate for safe-injection sites and jaywalking, I’ll do my part and contribute to some good ol’ fashion civil disobedience because the law, here, is wrong and I’ll deal with the consequences.

Jason Rantz on AM 770 KTTH
  • listen to jason rantzTune in to AM 770 KTTH weekdays at 3-7pm toThe Jason Rantz Show.

Jason Rantz Show

Jason Rantz

Image: Seattle Police Department officers arrest a woman caught driving a stolen car full of stolen...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: Activists to harass cops with Seattle Police complaint campaign

A Seattle Police complaint campaign by activists amounts to little more than harassment. But it could backfire, generating sympathy for cops.

6 hours ago

Image: A Boeing 737 Max 10 airliner taxis past a hanger on the flight line before its first flight ...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: It’s time for Washington to worry about Boeing surviving

Boeing controversy after controversy, plus bad press, threatens the company's future. Washington should be very worried right now.

1 day ago

Image: Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters dur...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: Trump ‘bloodbath’ controversy is the latest media invention

When President Donald Trump used the term "bloodbath," the media became unhinged. He wasn't talking about violence, but the auto industry.

2 days ago

...

MyNorthwest Video

Video: KTTH Roundtable: Will TikTok Be Banned?

A local mystery was solved in Los Angeles (with a surprising end result) and Jason Rantz and Bryan Suits tackle the arguments behind the TikTok ban. Listen to The Bryan Suits Show weekdays from 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. on AM 770 KTTH or on-demand wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to The Jason Rantz […]

3 days ago

Inset: Headshot of Seattle Police Department (SPD) Captain Deanna Nollette; Primary photo: An SPD v...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: Officer suing Seattle police for gender discrimination accused of gender bias

Seattle police officers said Captain Deanna Nollette, who sued the department for gender bias, is "notorious" for mistreating female officers.

5 days ago

Kim Wyman...

Bill Kaczaraba

Is ex-Secretary of State Kim Wyman running for that office again?

Rumors are spreading that former Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman is running for that office again.

5 days ago

Rantz: I won’t follow the distracted driving law