$136 Fines Ahead As WA Distracted Driving Law Grace Period Ends

LAKEWOOD, WA - You've had six months to stop those bad distracted-driving habits. Now police across the state are going to start handing out $136 fines ($234 on the second offense) to drivers under the state's tough new law.

You might remember when the law went into effect in July. At the time, police across the state said they would mostly just hand out warnings for the first six months. Now that it's 2018, that grace period is over.

Need a little refresher on the law? Here are seven key things to know:

1. The biggest takeaway: don't interact with your phone while driving. No emails, texts, YouTube videos, tweets, or anything that takes your eyes and hands off the task of operating your vehicle
2. Holding an electronic device as you drive could result in a fine.
3. Those distracted activities will now count as moving violations, just like speeding or reckless driving.
4. An "electronic device" as defined under the law "includes, but is not limited to, a cell phone, tablet, laptop, two-way messaging device, or electronic game."
5. You can still use a finger to "activate, deactivate, or initiate a function of the device," which should be taken to mean hitting the sleep or power button. Here's an example: if someone tries to Facetime you while you're driving along the highway, you can hit the cancel button.
6. If you need to read Google directions or respond to a text, pull over safely and put your car in park.
7. The law does not apply to drivers in very specific circumstances: when someone is making a 911 call; transit workers communicating with dispatch; semi drivers using radios; and emergency responders, like firefighters communicating via radio.

Photo by Jeff Chiu/Associated Press