OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Traffic Safety Commission is asking state lawmakers to upgrade the texting-while-driving law to bring it from the flip-phone age to smart phone technology.

As passed seven years ago, the law bans texting or holding a phone to the ear while driving.

The Olympian reports (http://bit.ly/ZgbKSm ) surfing the Internet, checking email or sending instant messages on a phone are not specifically outlawed.

The agency is asking the Legislature to update the law to say drivers may use mobile devices only when a car is stopped off the road.

The Washington State Patrol is backing the proposed changes.

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