The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA County—More than 150 agencies in Walla Walla County and around the state will step up distracted driving patrols March 28-April 14.

It is illegal for drivers to hold cell phones, access information or watch videos while they are driving, stopped in traffic or at a stop light. Violators will be charged $136 for a first offense and $234 for the second.

Washington Traffic Safety Commission Target Zero Manager Nancy McClenny-Walters says the E-DUI (Driving Under the Influence of Electronics) law isn’t complicated.

“The law is easy to follow. If you’re on the road, you need to be off the phone, whether driving, stopped at an intersection or in traffic. Your only job behind the wheel is to be a safe driver, and that means keeping your eyes and mind on the road and your hands on the wheel,” McClenny-Walters said.