When can you talk on the phone while driving?

We all know that driving while talking with a phone to your ear is illegal in Washington. But, did you know that there are exceptions to this rule?

1. The law doesn't apply to authorized emergency vehicles. RCW 46.61.667 states that a person operating a motor vehicle while holding a wireless communications device to his or her ear is guilty of a traffic infraction. However, the law doesn't apply to authorized emergency vehicles or tow trucks responding to disabled vehicles. Don't be alarmed if you see a police man chatting away with his phone to his ear.
2. You can talk on your phone if it's in hands-free mode. RCW 46.61.667 does not apply to a person using a communications device in hands-free mode. Set your phone to speaker mode and you're good to go.
3. The law doesn't apply to you in certain emergency situations. RCW 46.61.667 states that the law does not apply to people who are using their phones to:

• Report illegal activity

• Summon medical or other emergency help

• Prevent injury to a person or property

• Relay information that is time sensitive between a transit or for-hire operator and that operator's dispatcher, in which the device is permanently affixed to a vehicle