Safe Driving Emphasis Begins This Week

A nationwide crackdown on distracted driving starts Thursday and law enforcement officers in the Valley are involved.

Erica Stineman is a spokeswoman for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission who says between April 10 and April 15, the high visibility enforcement efforts will target drivers who are observed driving distracted; talking on hand-held cell phones, sending text messages and otherwise not paying attention to the road while driving.

You see it all the time people on cell phones so we think phones are the biggest distraction.

In 2013, researchers at UW Medicine’s Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center conducted a study of drivers in Washington.

The center found that nearly one in ten drivers was observed using a cell phone or texting behind the wheel. Among those driving distracted, nearly half (47 percent) were texting.

The slogan of the national campaign is “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” and is being carried out during the month of April which is National Distracted Driving Month.