Officers hand out 34 tickets during distracted-driving emphasis in Battle Ground

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On April 11 a distracted driving enforcement was held along Scotton Way between Walmart and the Alder Point Apartments, just west of SR 503 in Battle Ground.  

Eight officers from Battle Ground, Vancouver and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office worked together on the emphasis, along with dispatch support from CRESA. 

Over 31 hours, officers wrote 34 citations, 75 warnings, and made one arrest. 

Washington’s Driving Under the Influence of Electronics, or E-DUI law, went into effect July 2017. A first ticket costs drivers $136 and a second within the next five years increases the fine to $234. 

Since then, law enforcement agencies statewide have given drivers nearly 1,500 E-DUI tickets, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. 

Under the E-DUI law, drivers are only allowed to complete actions requiring one touch on a phone while driving. Hands-free systems are allowed. 

The Battle Ground enforcement, which was coordinated by Clark County Target Zero Task Force, consisted of a plain clothes officer on the sidewalk who, after spotting someone unlawfully distracted (typically by their cell phone) would radio a officer in a patrol vehicle to stop them. 

“I never envisioned this many people to be on their phones,” said Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy Greg Agar during the enforcement. 

Agar said whether or not the driver had previously been stopped for distracted driving played into if he would cite them or let them off with a warning. 

Statewide effort 

April is Distracted Driving Awareness month in Washington, and the Washington State Patrol is marking the occasion with extra patrols as well.



Trooper Will Finn, public information officer for the state patrol’s district 5 — which includes Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Klickitat and Skamania counties — said drivers should expect to see an increased law enforcement presence across the state. 

“We are partnering with our other local agencies … and putting extra boots on the ground, basically,” Finn said. 

Finn said Gov. Jay Inslee asked troopers to give drivers a six-month grace period to educate the public about the new law.

“As of January, the grace period is over,” Finn said. “The law is really robust now and gives us a little more teeth.”

According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, drivers are three times more likely to crash when talking on the phone, and 23 times more likely to crash when entering information on their phone. Despite the new law, drivers continue to be distracted by phones, Finn said. 

“It’s an increasing behavior on the roadway that is extremely dangerous,” Finn said. 

Finn said the average driver takes their eyes off the road for 27 seconds to send a text.

Assuming a speed of 25 miles per hour, “you will travel three football fields,” he said. “That is a really long distance not being engaged in the task at hand.”

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission simply advises drivers to keep phones out of reach.

Drivers could also be ticketed for distracted driving if officers observe a behavior, such as eating, drinking or paying attention to an animal in the car, if it contributes to a traffic violation, Finn said.