It’s not impossible to locate cheap car insurance in Bellevue, a wealthy Washington community with a thriving downtown. Located in King County, Bellevue is just across Lake Washington from Seattle. It’s the third largest city in the Seattle metro area, with about 142,000 residents.

Its name is a French term meaning “beautiful view,” and the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges are the makings of postcards in favorable weather. Bellevue is a relatively young city, incorporated in 1953.

Driving Conditions in Bellevue

Interstate 405 runs north-south through Bellevue, intersecting with Interstate 90, which travels east-west. Traffic is moderately heavy during peak commute hours, locals say. The average commute time, according to Census Bureau data, is 21 minutes in Bellevue, below the national average. Seattle, where the average commute time is more than 25 minutes, is about 10 miles away via I-90 West.

A traffic map with cameras and information on Bellevue traffic can be accessed at trafficmap.bellevuewa.gov. Statewide travel information can be found at wsdot.wa.gov/traffic

Unique Laws in Bellevue

Bellevue City Council in 2012 voted to impose fines on properties with repeated calls about loud music, public alcohol consumption, chronic dog barking and the like. The ordinance is designed to address excessive responses by police to the same local apartment complexes, city leaders said.

Washington State prohibits eating, drinking and even grooming behind the wheel. In more obscure and somewhat strange laws, it is illegal to buy meat or mattresses on Sunday or to walk around in public when one has a cold.

Washington State is the only one in the union with a law strictly forbidding the killing or kidnapping of Bigfoot. According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, the state has the most credible sightings of the mysterious creature than any other.

Bellevue Crime Statistics

FBI statistics compiled for 2016 show 139 violent crimes in Bellevue, none one of which were murder or manslaughter. The local violent crime rate of 97 offenses per 100,000 residents is far below the average U.S. violent crime rate of 386 per 100,000. The property crime rate in Bellevue was 3,258 per 1.

Within the city, 300 vehicles were stolen in 2016, FBI data shows, a rate of 210 per 100,000 residents, which is just under the national average of 220 incidents per 100,000.

Bellevue Safety Requirements

Taking effect in 2017, Washington’s distracted driving law prohibits use of virtually all hand-held gadgets behind the wheel. This includes composing or reading any kind of message, picture or data while moving or at a stop light or sign. Smartphones mounted on the dashboard for a navigational map are OK, but the new law permits only “minimal” touching of the screen to activate the device, Washington law states.

Seat belts are required for everyone in the car, and the driver is held responsible for buckling or restraining all passengers under age 16. Children who reach age 8 or 4 feet, 9 inches tall, whichever comes first, must ride in a safety seat or booster.

Bellevue Impaired Driving Laws

Washington State was one of the first states to legalize the possession and purchase of marijuana for users over 21, though they may not resell it or grow it. It remains illegal, however, to drive under the influence of marijuana.

According to the Washington State Department of Licensing, you can get a DUI if you are affected by drugs or alcohol or both, and this applies to both legal and illegal drugs. Separate license revocations apply for a DUI arrest and a DUI conviction. The legal limit of blood alcohol levels is .08 for adults, .04 for commercial drivers and .02 for drivers under 21.

In addition to license suspension, first offenders face jail time, fines, alcohol evaluation and a future ignition interlock device requirement. Regardless of your background, you can find cheap car insurance in Bellevue, Washington.