April is Distracted Driving Awareness month, so drivers need to make a commitment to leave their cellphone alone while driving.
Not only is it dangerous, but with extra officers looking for cellphone violators, drivers risk getting a $124 ticket. Extra police patrols will be added across the state from April 1-14.
While many things can distract a driver, cellphones are the most dangerous.
“Cellphones distract drivers differently than eating a hamburger or putting on make-up,” explains Angie Ward, Washington Traffic Safety Commission program manager, in a media release. “Holding a phone in your hand takes your hand off the wheel. Reading or entering data into your phone takes your eyes off the road. The biggest problem is that it takes your mind away from the tasks of driving.”
Cellphones cause crashes because they connect us to social and informational interchanges, explains Ward. This complex mental task creates a situation where a driver “looks” but doesn’t “see.”
Recent AAA research has shown that it takes nearly 30 seconds after ending the call or text for a driver’s mind to return its focus to driving.
One in 10 drivers and one-third of pedestrians were distracted by cellphone use, according to two studies conducted by the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center in Seattle.
“Taken together, this research has serious implications for people who think it’s safe to dial or send a text message at a stoplight” said Dr. Beth Ebel lead author of the Harborview studies. “Even if drivers stop talking or texting before the light turns green, they still don’t take in all the important elements in their surroundings for another 30 seconds. Couple this with pedestrians who may also be distracted and it’s a recipe for a trip to the emergency room, or worse.”
One out of five deadly crashes and one out of three serious injury crashes happen at or near an intersection, Ward notes.
For the third consecutive year, Washington law enforcement officers will join the national campaign aimed at curbing the temptation of drivers to use their phones.
These extra patrols are part of Target Zero—striving to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in Washington by 2030. For more information, visit targetzero.com. Additional information about the Washington Traffic Safety Commission can be found at wtsc.wa.gov.
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