Distracted driving has become a scourge in our state. It’s bad enough that drivers routinely break the law by using cellphones to make calls and send text messages.

What’s worse is that cellphones now also are used by drivers for so many other things: surfing the Web, writing emails, checking Twitter. All are dangerous activities when you’re driving. And all of them are legal.

Fortunately, the Legislature has a chance to fix that.

A bill expected to be introduced this week would ban cellphone use while driving, except for making calls with hands-free devices. We expect there will be howls of indignation from the public. And some legislators are wary of limiting cellphone use.

But, really?

How is it possible to equate safe driving with taking your eyes off the road to compose and send an email? And when did checking and sending Tweets become so urgent?

We can see every day how holding a cellphone to an ear can make a driver clueless to such things as traffic speed or stop lights. It’s the same — maybe worse — for other uses of cellphones or tablets.

Many states already ban using cellphones for many web activities. Washington state should, too.

— Craig Groshart, Bellevue Reporter