Distraction
Did You Know
Over 1000 distraction-involved collisions occur in Seattle every year. Every single one of these is preventable.
A person who is texting while driving is as impaired as a person with a BAC of .08Â - the legal limit in Washington.
Hands free devices are not a safe alternative. Just talking on a cell phone, hands free or not, reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37% (NHTSA).
What We’re Doing
The Seattle Police Department is enforcing traffic safety laws and focusing on distracted driving.
We’re launching a distracted driving campaign targeting young drivers, who are more likely to drive while distracted.
We’re improving signage, so it’s easier for you to find your destination and focus on the road.
What You Can Do
Turn your phone off before you get in the car. There is no conversation that can’t wait in order to save your life or someone else’s.
Understand that distracted driving includes more than just cell phone use. Reading a book, putting on makeup, or looking for something in the backseat all take your attention from the road. Do these things before you get in the car and make our roads safer for everyone.
Talk to your friends and family. A lot of us think that we are somehow uniquely capable of multi-tasking while driving. That’s simply not true. Driving requires the same visual, mental, and manual attention from each and every one of us.