A 3-minute lesson from the Washington course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Distracted driving is any activity that takes your attention from driving. It disrupts the awareness, judgment, and skill you need, and it can come from inside the car, outside it, your body, or your mind. Washington bans holding electronic devices while driving.
Distractions come in four kinds:
Inside the vehicle: phones, eating, adjusting the radio, passengers
Outside the vehicle: billboards, crashes, other people's behavior
You cannot hold any electronic device while driving, such as a cell phone, tablet, or gaming device. This applies to all drivers, regardless of age or experience.
Hands-free devices are permitted, but anything that takes your eyes and mind off the road, like notifications and bright screens, can still be dangerous.
Your phone lights up with a text while you're driving on the freeway. Don't pick it up: holding a device is illegal for every driver. Better yet, silence it and put it away before you leave.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Under Washington's distracted driving law, may you hold a cell phone while driving?
Yes, for up to 30 seconds
Yes, if you're over 18
No, you cannot hold any electronic device
Yes, if you're only using GPS
Answer: No, you cannot hold any electronic device
You cannot hold any electronic device while driving; this applies to all drivers regardless of age or experience.