“It’s time to park the phone and drive the car.”

Those are words from Sen. Tracey Eide, one of the sponsors for the new hands-free cell phone law that becomes a primary offense Thursday.

Bellevue Police already have been cracking down on motorists who use their cell phones while driving. Such infractions have been secondary violations, meaning officers had to witness a different traffic offense before making a traffic stop.

But the state recently made the infractions a primary violation, which means texting or talking on a cell phone is now reason enough for a traffic stop — and a $124 fine.

The use of hands-free cell-phone devices is legal for any one over the age of 18. It is not legal for any driver under the age of 18 to talk or text on a cell phone, whether the device is hands free or not.

“Studies show that talking on a handheld cell phone while driving is equivalent to driving drunk, and drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be in a crash compared to those don’t,” Eide said.

Local law enforcement and community partners in traffic safety were honored recently for their contributions to making King County residents safer today on the roads than ever.

On average, 24 fewer people died annually in 2007 and 2008, compared with the 2002-2006 period, a drop from an average of 118 deaths annually to 94. This downward trend appears to continue in 2009, with preliminary data showing a further drop to 76 deaths from crashes.

Several factors may be contributing to the drop in fatalities, including strong enforcement of driving under the influence (DUI) laws, better automotive safety equipment, seat belt usage, changes in driving habits and traffic engineering improvements. While traffic fatalities are dropping nationally and statewide, King County’s traffic fatality rate is the lowest in the state.

We believe that the new cell phone law will help improve the region’s traffic safety and will aid in the statewide Target Zero goal of no traffic fatalities by 2030.

The new cell phone law takes aim at activity that has no defense, but is all too common. People who are sending text messages behind the wheel — or reading them, for that matter — are by definition distracted. They are taking their eyes off the road, putting themselves and others in danger.

Younger drivers are particularly prone to take part in such reckless behavior, given that text messaging is central to today’s teen culture. Teens, too, are less experienced behind the wheel and more prone to distractions like texting, tuning the radio or talking to passengers.

We don’t pretend that a texting-while-driving ban will prevent recklessness among drivers — there are many other ways to be distracted. There are legitimate questions how often police will be able to catch a driver in the act.

Still, there are times when a law’s importance is to set a standard. It establishes that some behavior is not just foolish, but a true danger to society’s well-being. This law will be taught in driver’s education classes, too, and it will deter most drivers.

The goal of the new law is to put the public’s safety first. There is good cause to believe now that the region’s roads will get a little safer.