For the month of April, more than 130 law enforcement agencies statewide will add extra “distracted driving” patrols looking for drivers who are distracted by their electronic devices. Drivers can also receive a “dangerously distracted” citation for committing other traffic violations due to any type of distraction. The WTSC funds the annual enhanced enforcement activity.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission is promoting the dangers as part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The emphasis comes after Washington experienced increases in distracted driving in 2020.

According to the commission’s 2020 Distracted Driving Observation Survey, the statewide distracted driver rate increased from 6.8 percent in 2019 to 9.4 percent last year. Distracted driving behavior on city streets rose from one in every 10 drivers to nearly one in every five. Driver distraction on county roads doubled. The increases included all types of driver distraction, not just hand-held cell phone use.

WTSC released practical steps drivers, passengers, families, and workplaces can take to encourage focused driving. Those steps can be found on WTSC’s Together We Get There website.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also coordinating an effort called Connect to Disconnect (C2D), a 4-hour national distracted driving enforcement. This initiative will take place on April 8.