The Washington State Patrol has scheduled a statewide emphasis patrol focusing on distracted drivers for Friday through Sunday.
According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, distracted driving causes 30% of statewide traffic fatalities and 23% of all serious injury collisions in Washington. In 2018, the state patrol contacted more than 20,000 drivers for distracted driving, 3,000 more than the previous year.
“There is no call, text, email or update that is worth a life, yours or the person in the car you hit,” said Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol.“Drivers, please pay attention. You matter and we want you to arrive at your destination safely.”
State law prohibits drivers from using a “personal electronic device,” such as a cellphone, while operating a motor vehicle on a public highway, which includes when they are stopped in traffic or at a traffic light.
Personal electronic devices also include laptops, tables and gaming devices. Drivers are allowed “the minimal use of a finger to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function on the device,” according to the state patrol.
Drivers are allowed to use the devices if parked, using a hands-free device or for calling 911.
The penalty for distracted driving is a $136 citation for the first offense. A second citation in five years raises the penalty to at least $234 and each offense is reported to the driver’s insurance company.
Drivers can also be penalized for a secondary violation of dangerously distracted driving under RCW 46.61.673, with an additional $99 penalty if a driver commits a traffic violation because they were distracted, according to the state patrol.
