SB5289 ~ Washington State Distracted Driving Law Taking Effect in July


The bill, SB 5289  making use of a mobile phone while driving a primary offense exempts a driver who is using a personal electronic device to contact emergency services and also someone operating an authorized emergency vehicle.

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee signed three bills into law on May 16 that aim to reduce distracted driving and impaired driving.

The bills make any use of a mobile phone while driving a primary offense, make an individual driver’s fourth DUI a felony, and implement recommendations from a task force on impaired driving. Inslee’s signature means the distracted driving law goes into effect in July 2017.

“We’re suffering a scourge of death of our loved ones on our roadways, due to two problems: distracted driving and impaired driving,” he said. “Today I’m signing three bills to confront these scourges head on.”

Inslee mentioned at the signing ceremony in Tacoma the case of Sam Thompson, a junior at Lewis and Clark College who was killed one week before his 21st birthday when he crashed while sending a text. Lavera Wade, his grandmother, attended the ceremony; she had worked with other victims’ families to see the law passed, according to Inslee’s news release.

The bill making use of a mobile phone while driving a primary offense is SB 5289. It exempts a driver who is using a personal electronic device to contact emergency services; the use of a system by a transit system employee for time-sensitive relay communication between the transit system employee and the transit system’s dispatch services; an individual employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver who uses a personal electronic device within the scope of his or her employment if such use is permitted under 49 U.S.C. Sec. 31136 as it existed on the effective date of the law; and a person operating an authorized emergency vehicle.

source: ohsonline.com

climate change! a letter to Angela Merkel ~ Add your Name ~ Avaaz.org


Dear friends,

Trump’s going to try to hijack a meeting of the world’s 20 most powerful nations and turn it into an attack on our planet and the Paris climate deal.

Unless Germany’s Angela Merkel stops him.

She’s one of the great climate leaders of our generation and could push hard to isolate Trump with a plan for 100% clean energy from the remaining 19 countries. But she’ll need to know she has massive support from everywhere to take this unprecedented step. Sign with just one click, then share the open letter to Merkel — we have just days to hit 1 million and Avaaz will print it in major German media ahead of the summit!

Dear Chancellor Merkel,

We reject Trump’s attempts to divide the world on climate change.

And we call on you to lead us to a safe, sustainable future, with or without the USA.

As you welcome the G20 to Germany, we ask you to stand up to Trump by leading the 19 remaining countries to commit to a 100% clean energy future.

As the ‘Climate Chancellor’, your leadership has given us hope that climate catastrophe can be avoided. That hope is precious. Billions across our beautiful planet are now counting on you to protect it.

Recent signers -- Add my name

ADD MY NAME

The global Avaaz movement poured its heart and soul into securing the landmark Paris Agreement. Now we must rise together to defend it, and with it, our people’s future. Join the campaign and forward this email to everyone you know.

With hope and determination,

Christoph, Bert, Patricia, Camille, René & the whole Avaaz team