The Kirkland Police Department (KPD) and the Washington State Patrol have been keeping a close eye on who’s using their cell phone out on the road ever since a new state law went into effect June 10. But “it’s still too early to tell” if people have gotten the message, according to one police official.

The KPD has been keeping track of the number of violations of the so-called, “text, talk, ticket” law, so the Kirkland Reporter made a records request to the department’s Records Division. The KPD sent the answer to the inquiry in an e-mail, stating that there were 166 cell phone violations and only five text-messaging violations from June 10-29. During the first week, Kirkland Police saw 79 violations for cell phone usage and three violations for text-messaging, according to Traffic Sgt. Todd Aksdal, Kirkland Police Department.

“There are still an awful lot of people who are still not compliant with the law,” Sgt. Aksdal said. “I still continue to see it.”

The new law makes texting or cell phone use a “primary offense,” meaning that drivers can be pulled over for nothing other than a phone to their ear or texting a simple response to a friend. The new law also prohibits checking e-mail or speaking on a hand-held cell while driving or stopped at intersections. Younger drivers with an intermediate driver’s license or learner’s permit cannot use any wireless device while driving unless reporting an emergency.

The new law is the latest move by state legislators to prevent further vehicle fatalities and collisions. While KPD Officer Patrick Gallagher believes the law will do that, he acknowledges that cell phone use is even more commonplace than it was five years ago – which could mean some people are still going to use their phone in the car.

Violators will receive a $124 ticket and the amount could go up for drivers responsible for causing a collision.

KDP Sgt. Matt Murray said that officers can stop violators “at anytime.” Most of them, he said are caught with a phone to their ear because texting requires taking eyes off the road completely.

Since 2008 the law has prohibited drivers from texting while driving and required those talking on cell phones to use hands free devices. However, the earlier version of the law considered violations as “secondary;” meaning that officers had to see a different violation, such as speeding, in order to make a traffic stop. Back then, the KPD did not keep track of the number of violators, Aksdal said, now the KPD is on top of it.

Gallagher said he is not aware of any deadly incidents due to cell phone usage within the city of Kirkland before or after the law was passed.

He said the best thing to do is for drivers to just stow phones away someplace where they can’t reach it.

But it doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t talk to someone who’s not in the car with them – drivers are still free to use a speaker phone to talk on their cell phone and simply talk at their phone while it is sitting on the seat or a Bluetooth hands-free device.