Distracted driving applies to more than just cell phones and raises insurance rates

Washington State – A study by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WSTC) indicates that drivers in Washington state are less distracted by cell phones, but that distracted driving is still a costly and dangerous problem, according to a press release by the NW Insurance Council.

Cell phones are the source of over half of driver distractions in Washington, according to WTSC, even though the number of drivers holding a cell phone dropped to 3.4 percent in 2018 from 5.7 percent in 2017. The study also found that other distractions behind the wheel, such as eating, tuning a radio or attending to pets or children, has increased.

To deter drivers from distracted driving, Washington state enacted a new “Driving Under the Influence of Electronics” (E-DUI) law, which went into effect last summer, and strengthened penalties against the use of hand-held devices. The law also added new penalties for non-cellphone distractions, if the driver commits another infraction while distracted by activities like eating or tending to passengers or pets in the vehicle. Citations stemming from such infractions, as well as crashes caused by distracted driving, could also impact what violators pay for auto insurance.

Loss costs – payments made to treat injuries, repair damaged vehicles and property and defend insured drivers in legal action – have steadily increased and are typically reflected in premiums paid by consumers.

“What we’re seeing, especially with more vehicles on the road traveling for work and leisure, is a rise in crash rates, and as the cost to treat injuries and repair vehicles increases, those crashes are having an impact on the cost of insurance,” said Kenton Brine, NW Insurance Council President.

“Under the new law, insurers are now able to see if drivers have been cited for, or have caused a collision, while distracted behind the wheel, which should serve as a wake-up call for drivers who think they can evade an accident, a ticket or insurance consequences when they drive distracted,” Brine added.

Drivers were 57 percent more likely to manipulate a cellphone (browsing the web, dialing a number, entering an address) in 2018 than drivers in 2014, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Based on the study’s findings, manipulating a cellphone while driving was a contributing factor in more than 800 deaths nationwide in 2017.

“Driving distracted is a deadly and costly risk,” he said. “We can’t stress it enough: when you’re driving, keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.”