TextingSept2015

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission has announced an upcoming influx of patrols focused on distracted driving for the month of April.

The WTSC announced the plans for a two week “Driving Under the Influence of Electronics” patrol on their website on Monday, March 26th. The patrol stems from the passing of the new E-DUI law in the state of Washington last summer.

Under the new E-DUI law, drivers may not hold a cell phone, tablet, laptop, or handheld gaming device for any reason while driving, stopped in traffic, or at a stop light. The upcoming E-DUI patrol period, scheduled for April 2nd through the 14th, is aimed at enforcing this newly established law and changing the way citizens of Washington state look at distracted driving. During those two weeks, police officers will be specifically looking for E-DUI violations and will be ticketing drivers appropriately.

A driver’s first E-DUI ticket will cost $136. Then, if another E-DUI ticket is obtained within the next five years, the fine will increase to $234.

“Our goal is to raise public awareness about the dangers of distracted driving,” said program manager for WTSC, Erika Mascorro.

“Research shows that drivers are three times more likely to crash when talking on the phone, and 23 times more likely to crash when entering information into their phone,” she explained.

While a survey conducted in the state of Washington showed that 96% of people agree that driving while on the phone is dangerous, nearly 1,500 citizens have already received tickets for E-DUI since the new law was passed in July.

“We need to change the culture of distracted driving in our state,” said WTSC Deputy Director Pam Pannkuk.

“We believe parents can lead the way in making this shift and model good driving behavior for their children.”