Over here on the Washington side you can't hold a phone either, but you can have the minimal use of a finger to activate or deactivate your device. No, you can't hold the phone up to your ear, you must be hands free. It's hard to believe that texting while driving was banned in WA a decade ago, but I still see it everyday.

But starting Oct. 1 in Oregon, you can not even use or hold an electronic device. You can use your device if you're parked. Waiting at a stop light is NOT being parked! It used to be that no texting and no calling was allowed, but if you weren't on some type of two way communication, like checking your bank statement, it was okay. That is no longer. They do allow for a finger to initiate a call IF YOU ARE USING A HANDS FREE DEVICE....but no touchy-touch on the phony-phone in your handy-hand.

Naturally there are exceptions, like for calling 911.

Read House Bill 2597 HERE.

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