Distracted driving may cost you more in premiums, fines – even death

 The Washington state Traffic Safety Commission released a report this week that revealed some somber statistics:

• Nearly 1 in 10 drivers in motion was distracted by something – 9.2 percent
• Most of the distractions were an electronic device – 6.9 percent
• The remainder were distracted by children, their radio, eating, or something else. 

The distraction rate increased by half in drivers who were stopped at an intersection – jumping to 14.2 percent.

That’s the kind of thing that can lead to higher insurance premiums and worse – death.

The report observed more than 22,000 drivers in 23 Washington counties during 2016. It’s the first report of its kind by the commission and will serve as a benchmark for future annual reports.

These numbers are important because distracted drivers cause collisions. The commission’s most recent collision report, from 2014, shows that distracted drivers crash every 12 minutes. Distraction was a factor in 40 percent of all collisions, the single most frequent contributing factor in all collisions that year.

Distracted driving was a factor in 123 fatal collisions.

The number of collisions in your region contribute to increased insurance premiums. If the number of collisions increases, your rates are likely to as well.

In Washington state, it is illegal to hold a phone or text while you drive, and it’s a violation for all new drivers to use a phone at all. The state Legislature is considering a bill that would broaden restrictions on using electronics devices and increase the fines for people who violate the law more than once. If adopted, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2018.

Related news:

• Insurance Bills Rise as Texters Crash Cars, Bloomberg Businessweek

• New survey: Distracted driving deaths up 32 percent; cell phone use a key factor, KOMO News