Distracted Driving Fatalities Down in Washington State

In 2016, the year before the law passed, 155 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver. In 2019, two years after the new law, 33 fewer distracted driving-related deaths occurred.

“Washington’s Distracted Driving law is working,” said Erika Mascorro, WTSC Program Manager, “The data shows that Washington culture around distracted driving is changing. With Washingtonians at home observing the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, now is a good opportunity to review with the importance of being an attentive driver, so our families will be safer when we all return to the roads.”

WTSC conducted a 2019 statewide Traffic Safety Culture Survey and found that most Washingtonians are familiar with the distracted diving laws: