Study: Wash. distracted driving deaths up 32 percent

Caiti Currey by Caiti Currey

Distracted driving deaths are seeing a drastic rise in Washington. According to a new study, they rose 32 percent in a one year period.

To many, the cause may not come as a surprise: Cell phone use behind the wheel.

The study done by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission surveyed more than 22,000 drivers across the state. The study found that 71 percent of distracted drivers were preoccupied with their phones while operating their vehicles. Statewide, nearly one out of 10 drivers are distracted while driving.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeff Sevigney said the study found that people feel a need to check their messages or answer a phone call instantly.

The problem isn’t just teenagers. Sevigney said with people of all ages owning smart phones, the idea that it’s just young drivers texting or Facebooking behind the wheel is no longer the case.

What frustrates first responders most about distracted driving crashes is that they are 100 percent preventable.

“There is no text message, email, Facebook post that is worth your life,” said Trooper Sevigney.

Washington’s current law outlaws holding a phone to one’s ear while driving, along with texting. A bill currently making its way through the state legislature would update the law to include things like social media and GPS use.

Idaho drivers can still hold their cell phone to their ears to talk, but texting while driving is illegal.

Other distractions that were high on the studies list include eating, tuning a radio or attending to pets or children.

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