OLYMPIA — State Patrol troopers will conduct a statewide emphasis on distracted driving today through Sunday.
The penalty for distracted driving is a $136 citation for the first offense. If a person is issued another citation within five years, the penalty rises to at least $234. Additionally, each offense is reported to the person’s insurance company.
Drivers can also be penalized for a secondary violation of dangerously distracted under RCW 46.61.673. Drivers can receive an additional $99 penalty for being dangerously distracted if a driver commits a traffic violation because they were distracted.
Distracted driving is the cause of 30 percent of traffic fatalities and makes up 23 percent of all serious injury collisions in the state, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. So far in 2018, the State Patrol has contacted 18,557 drivers for distracted driving statewide. That’s up from 2017, when troopers stopped 17,058 drivers.
State law prohibits drivers from using personal electronic devices while operating motor vehicles on a public highway. That includes when they are stopped in traffic or at a traffic light, the State Patol said.
Personal electronic devices aren’t just cellphones; also included are other devices such as laptops, tablets and gaming devices.
A driver is allowed only the minimal use of a finger to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function on the device. Drivers can use their phones if they are hands-free and can be started by using a single touch or swipe of a finger, the driver is parked out of the flow of traffic and safely off the roadway; or the driver is calling 9-1-1.
