Is Oregon’s new hands-free driving law working?

It’s been nearly six months since Oregon’s new hands-free driving law went into effect.

Have drivers seen a difference on the road?

According to several Bend drivers, including Mike Miller, the answer is no.

“I haven’t seen that much change, really,” Miller said Thursday. “You can drive around town and see people on their phones practically every day. Or you’ll see people sitting at a light a long time after it’s turned green. They’re looking down and so they’re obviously fiddling with something, and you give them the horn and they wake up.”

Before the new law passed, drivers were allowed to touch their phones, as long as they weren’t using them. This law closed that loophole, so a citation can be given even when a driver is stopped at a stoplight.

Since last Oct. 1, the Redmond Police Department said it has issued 90 citations for operating a motor vehicle while using a mobile device. The Bend Police Department has issued 172 citations and 23 warnings for the same violation.

Bend resident Susan Blanchard said she’s careful not to look at her phone while driving, but sees others doing it constantly.

“It seems like people are continuing to use their phone either by talking on the phone or texting on the phone,” Blanchard said.

“I don’t have that problem, fortunately,” she said, “but I have noticed that the phone will ring and I’ll be tempted — but I don’t look at it. I know how quickly these things can go bad, and I don’t want that to happen to me — and I don’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

A one-time violation of the law can lead to a maximum fine of $1,000. The fine for a second violation could reach $2,500. And a third violation can bring jail time.

But not everyone thinks those punishments will work, including Bend resident Melody Luelling.

“Unfortunately, I think, unless something bad happens then that makes people think about it. But until then, I think some people just think they can do it,” Luelling said.

And the answer isn’t certain for many.

“I don’t know what the solution is. More enforcement, possibly. We don’t do very much traffic enforcement in Bend, I know that for a fact,” Miller said.

Blanchard said, “Maybe fines. Money is always a good deterrent, and maybe take away the phone.”

Between 2012 and 2016, there were more than 10,000 crashes, 16,000 injuries and 70 fatalities involving a distracted driver in Oregon, statistics show.

Do you follow the Oregon law banning texting while driving? That’s our new KTVZ.COM Poll, which you can find halfway down the right side of our home page.