{"id":16322,"date":"2017-07-19T16:36:27","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T23:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/?p=16322"},"modified":"2017-07-27T11:16:19","modified_gmt":"2017-07-27T18:16:19","slug":"distracted-driving-always-irresponsible-now-illegal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2017\/07\/19\/distracted-driving-always-irresponsible-now-illegal\/","title":{"rendered":"Distracted driving \u2014 always irresponsible, now illegal"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sunday, July 23 Washington state\u2019s new distracted driver legislation will take effect. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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SB 5289, the driving under the influence of electronics (E-DUI) bill, passed the state legislature with bipartisan support in the 2017 regular legislative session. Washington Bikes advocated for the legislation alongside a diverse coalition of individuals and organizations, including victims\u2019 families, construction professionals, medical professionals, and transportation organizations<\/a>. On May 16th, as Governor Inslee signed the bill into law, he sped up the date for enactment to July 23rd.<\/p>\n

This diverse coalition was motivated to come together to ensure distracted driving laws in Washington were strengthened for a very compelling reason \u2014 people are dying. Fatalities from distracted driving are on the rise and people walking and biking are significantly impacted. A recent study<\/a> examined deaths of people walking and biking attributed to distracted driving between 2005 and 2010 and the numbers are disturbing: Deaths for people walking increased from 344 to 500 and for people on bikes from 56 to 73.<\/p>\n

Washington\u2019s new distracted driving law is intended to deter a specific dangerous behavior that has become more and more common: Driving while distracted by electronic devices. The intent is to keep everyone on our streets safe; the law will be most impactful to vulnerable street users, like people walking and biking. Given that many of us are behind the wheel at some point, here\u2019s a rundown of how to comply with the law and keep people safe.<\/strong><\/p>\n