Text-it and ticket — tougher driving law starts Tuesday

Published 12:01 am Thursday, December 27, 2007

Starting Tuesday, law enforcement officers can ticket people text messaging while driving – if they commit another violation at the same time.

Text messaging will be a secondary offense starting the first day of 2008.

That means that a driver writing a message to e-mail from a cell phone – known as texting – while also committing another violation could get an extra $124 ticket, said Lt. Clint Casebolt, Washington State Patrol spokesman.

Troopers cannot stop drivers simply for text-messaging, but drivers could end up with two tickets instead of just one.

Drivers have a while longer, however, to prepare for another communications law.

On July 1, drivers will be required to use hands-free devices to talk on cell phones.