For comparison, in 2020, Ada County reported 1,247 DUI arrests. Of course, 2020 included a lot less driving (& more drinking) than the typical year.

More typical year, in 2019 there were 1,669 DUI arrests in Ada County. Maybe the Editor can get current 2021 stats for DUI, and inattentive.

In summary, 1,866 text violators compared to LESS drunk violators.

Everything is relative.
$75 penalty or a $1,000+?
To say nothing of the greater difference of 2nd and 3rd offenses comparatively.

But, does any agency in Ada County have a Texting Task Force?

Are coppers ignoring phone-driving? Well, I doubt they are focused on it like other things.

BPD has DUI Step nights. Squad vehicles with decals identifying them, has a whole campaign and budgeted items for 1 focus- follow the money.

“Yo Sergeant, you’re on the Hang Up and Drive Team Task Force for some overtime hours this weekend.” No way!

Stopped on suspicion of DUI on a Friday night, 2 or 3 patrols show up. Do they do that for texting? Cops divert their resources and numbers from other things based on their priority of chasing drunks instead of actual unsafe driving.

This law started July 2020.
Seen any PSA about it? I haven’t.
Ever heard of MATWD, Mothers Against Texting While Driving?

If the Legislature and the coppers were reasonable, they would make using a device, inattentive, distracted driving, reckless, and DUI all the same penalty and all the same enforcement efforts. The first clue for enforcement- bad driving. Easy!

Tomorrow a cop pulls you over for not using a blinker and asks to see your phone to test your recent calls and texts.
“Sir, how many texts have you been making tonight?”
“Just 2. I swear”.
Refuse to show em your phone history and that’s just another big fine and a trip to Barrister!

FYI Nanny, Cops don’t suppress violent crimes. They respond AFTER the crime and try to put the offender in jail. The police model is respond with a gun- not prevent.

What do you have against a law that is meant to protect those on the road? Do you have a the same problem with the DUI laws as those could be covered under another driving law?

I don’t know how you would measure that, but I have a feeling that it’s a deterrent for a certain percentage of otherwise-drunk drivers.

Does that pesky nanny-state seat belt law increase the number of seat belt wearers?

Ditto.

Many people advocate for a mandatory helmet law, for motorcycle riders… and in fact they are mandatory in many states, including nearby Oregon.

The difference between a helmet law and a “handheld electronics law” is… an unprotected motorcycle rider isn’t any less likely to kill you or somebody dear to you. Innocents are killed every day by distracted drivers! If a “nanny law” keeps me, or one of my kids or grandkids alive, then I’m generally in favor of Nanny Interference.

EDITOR NOTE–Impossible to quantify an unknown. For instance it would be like trying to determine how many lives were saved by smoke detectors vs no smoke detectors. Bottom line: texting and using a phone while driving can be deadly.

1. A traffic crash occurred every 23 minutes

2. A person was killed in a traffic crash every 41 hours.

3.A person was injured in a traffic crash every 46 minutes.

4. The economic cost of crashes in Idaho involving distracted driving was over $601 million dollars in 2020.

5. The estimated cost of Idaho crashes including injuries and fatalities in 2020 was nearly $3.85 billion.

Mute points anyway given the ridiculous public reaction to the unpleasant reality of policing thugs. Nobody wants to be a cop. Recently cops hesitating and cops using less initial force than they would have a few years ago are being hurt and killed when encountering thugs. The cops we do keep are going to be assigned to suppress the most violent crimes, so you will be on your own about the driver with the cell phone or barking dogs etc. (This statement is not true in Boise yet, but look at who we elected and what their goals are. Give it time to fester.)

Editor, any numbers on police recruitment retention attrition. How many experienced cops moving in from big metro areas?