Stop Texting And Drive Or Face A Ticket

If you're texting you're not driving. That's the message from the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission as it starts a special emphasis patrol in this month to find and stop people who text while driving. April is Distracted Driving Awareness month. Commission Spokesperson Shelly Baldwin says while many things can distract drivers like eating or changing music she says cell phones are much different. "They not only take your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel they take your mind off the task of driving." Recent research from Triple AAA has shown that it takes nearly 30 seconds after ending the call or text for a driver’s mind to return its focus to driving. And even at a stoplight she says if drivers stop talking or texting before the light turns green, they still don’t take in all the important elements in their surroundings for another 30 seconds. Couple this with pedestrians who may also be distracted and it’s a recipe for a trip to the emergency room, or worse.
Ehe extra patrols last through April 14 as authorities look for people who text and drive.