Washington state has millions of licensed drivers on the road, and that’s just the number of licensed Washingtonians-- there are also many tourists and out-of-towners using the roads. It seems as though it’d be difficult to maintain order with so many vehicles on the road, but that’s what Washington’s driving laws are for.
These laws are meant to keep everyone safe, and they work as long as everyone knows the laws and agrees to adhere to them. Unfortunately, not every single driver will do that, but Washington’s driving laws can protect you from them in the courtroom, if not on the road.
Specific Rules in Washington
Washington has many specific driving rules, and some of the particularly important ones are listed below.
Seat belts: Every vehicle occupant has to wear a seat belt, and Washington isn’t messing around when it comes to enforcement. If you violate this law, you’ll be subject to a $124 fine. Moreover, kids under 8 and under 4’9” have to be in a booster seat or child restraint system.
Drunk driving: Driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more is illegal in Washington and leaves you open to a driving under the influence charge. If convicted, you’ll have to install an ignition interlock device (IID) because its installation is mandatory for all offenses.
Open container laws: You can’t have open containers of alcohol in the passenger area of your car, and simply putting open containers in a glove box isn’t sufficient to keep you out of legal trouble. The law specifically states that, “A utility compartment or glove compartment is deemed to be within the area occupied by the driver and passengers.”
Distracted driving: Distracted driving is simply any activity that prevents someone from focusing on driving. Texting while driving is a well-known form of distracted driving, and to prevent it, Washington has banned texting and the use of handheld devices while driving.
Drunk Driving and Your Washington Auto Accident
Sometimes, drunk drivers think that they’ll be okay getting home. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to miscalculate and cause an accident. You may have even ended up in an accident with a drunk driver that left you with serious injuries and no way of working for awhile.
If this happens, you have the option of filing a personal injury claim. Washington is a tort state, and this means that you can get compensation from the person who was liable. Naturally, getting compensation means that you have to prove that the other person was liable. But there’s no reason you have to do that alone.
Hiring a Personal injury Lawyer
A personal injury attorney can spearhead your case and get you the compensation you need. Proving liability is harder than it looks-- even for clear cases of negligence-- and it’s a job best left to someone who has the time, energy, and know-how to collect evidence and argue the most persuasive case that they can.
Having a PI attorney handling a case will let you spend time recovering rather than building your case, and spending time on your health is always time well-spent.
