Stephanie Yao Long

Oregon is rolling out stiffer penalties on July 1 for drivers caught illegally using a cell phone, tablet or other device while driving.

Citations will now start adding up. Serial offenders may face fines upwards of $2,500 and as long as six months in jail.

The penalties are part of the state's new Distracted Driving Law, which went into effect Oct. 1. The Legislature approved the rules during the 2017 session.

Lawmakers addressed a glaring loophole in the state’s hands-free law. The original 2009 legislation required drivers use a hands-free device to make phone calls and banned texting while driving, but it appeared to allow drivers to play games, surf Facebook or use navigation software while cruising down state highways or city streets.

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Dan Gill/The New York Times

“Distracted driving is an epidemic in Oregon, and the consequences can be deadly,” Troy Costales, the state’s Transportation Safety Division administrator, said in a statement. “Everyone using the transportation system – drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians alike – should put away the distractions when traveling to help eliminate these tragedies.”

Distracted drivers already face serious fines for first and second offenses. A first-time offender can face a fine of up to $1,000 depending on the circumstances, with a minimum citation of $130 when nabbed using a cellphone behind the wheel. Second time offenses are bumped up to $220 minimum and a maximum of $2,000. If the first offense results in a crash, penalties will be treated like it's a second incident.

Starting in July, three offenses in 10 years will result in a fine of up to $2,500 and a potential six-month jail stint.

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Oregonian File Photo

Oregon has had 172 traffic-related fatalities this year, according to unofficial figures, a 17.8 percent increase from the same period last year.

State transportation officials say while it’s unclear what factors led to those crashes, “anecdotal information” points to many vehicles leaving their travel lane – a tell-tale sign of distracted driving.

Between 2012 and 2015, there were 10,814 crashes statewide attributed to distracted drivers. Seventy people died and another 16,503 were injured.

“Distractions occur in many ways, and Oregon’s law stresses the need to put your electronic devices aside,” Costales said. “What a driver must do is commit to keeping ‘hands on the wheel, mind on the road.’”

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen