The following is a release from the Kirkland Police Department:

For the second year in a row, more than 100 law enforcement agencies in Washington State will be cracking down on distracted drivers as part of the National Distracted Driving Enforcement Campaign. Between April 1-15, high visibility enforcement efforts will target motorists who are observed talking on handheld cell phones and sending text messages. The slogan of the national campaign is “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.”

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC), approximately 20 percent of all traffic fatalities between the years 2009 and 2013 involved distracted drivers. In a study recently published by the University of Utah, researchers found that people who text on a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle are six times as likely to be involved in a collision as an alcohol-impaired driver. Additionally, Dr. Beth Ebel of Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center states, “Just like drunk driving, distracted driving is illegal and threatens the safety of other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. We see the consequences from the distraction too often in the trauma center [at Harborview Medical Center].”

A kick-off event for the campaign will take place in Spokane today. At the event, Jim and Lisa Thompson will unveil a road sign to be erected this spring at the site near Colfax where their son, Sam, died after he crossed the center line while texting and driving. The statewide patrols will be conducted in honor of Sam.

All of these extra patrols are part of Target Zero—striving to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in Washington by 2030. For more information, visit www.targetzero.com.

Additional state wide information on Target Zero can be found on the Washington Traffic Safety Commission agency website, www.wtsc.wa.gov. Additional information regarding proposed distracted Driving legislation can be found here.